hardboiled strawberries, smiling halcyon
by alice hattercandy
Summary: "Twice, you almost lost her. Her brother. Aizen. Who do you need next to finally gather your balls— if you have any— and tell what you need to say to her? Don't wait for the third time. Because bad things come in three." Days later, it happened.
1. to challenge mr mad hatter

Ishida and Orihime reached the dome, and quickly, the girl jumped off the makeshift elevator, running as fast as her thin legs could carry her. A dense, extremely heavy reiatsu fell on her, causing her to choke and sway on the spot. Her knees buckled, but she continued to walk on. Pale and wide-eyed with fear that made breathing hard and painful, Orihime looked up.

Her eyes widened, the hazel irises pale, almost white in horror.

Green, cold eyes met her horrified gaze.

"So, you came." The pause was heavy. "Woman."

"K… Kuro… saki-kun…" Orihime stammered shakily, her hands, legs and body shaking as one. Her teeth were chattering so _hard _that her mouth trembled in intense fear. "Please… P-please… stop—"

"You're right on time, woman."

Orihime stared up, mouth slightly parted.

"…to witness the death of the person you've put all your hopes into."

"…n-no… no… Please, p-please… stop… Please, _stop!_"

"Watch him die in front of your eyes, woman."

Cero came and hit.

A piercing darkness.

A broken, destroyed heart.

A hole.

Her hopeless cries echoed.

:

So much blood. So much despair.

_What should I do?_

_What should I do?_

_What should I do?_

Her helpless thoughts screamed and reverberated inside her mind, fogging her senses, numbing her body.

Trembling pale and small hands went up to clutch at her hair. Wide-eyed, she stared at Kurosaki-kun's body. That… that… hole… that— Tears poured out steadily in misery.

_What should I do?_

_What should I do?_

So much blood. So much despair.

_Kurosaki-kun._

_Kurosaki-kun._

_Kurosaki-kun._

Desperately, she clung to her one last shred of hope. In retrospect, she will later regret it. But despair made her scream. Subconsciously, she whispered inside her mind:

_I'm so sor—_

…

…

…

"HELP, KUROSAKI-KUN!"

:

Rain. _…che._

He hated it with passion. He thought his rainy days were over after he had rescued Rukia. But— _this isn't a rain._

Consciousness wavered. It moved under the surface, only slightly, only with little twitches.

But it was there.

Faint, but it was there.

…_Kurosaki-kun._

…_Kurosaki-kun._

…_Kurosaki-kun._

But under the rain, amidst the fog, the continuous downpour, there was warmth not associated with cold drenching rainfall. The warmth was little at first, barely touching him, and then it spread, slowly but surely, penetrating the thin wall that separated consciousness from unconsciousness.

Get up, up, up.

_I… I… I'll…_

Get up, up, up.

_I'll… I'll… protect… I'll…_

Get up, up, up!

_She's calling me._

The warmth pierced through the wall and touched his consciousness.

GET UP!

…

…

_I'll protect you._

:

"Can you even hear me, Kurosaki? I'm telling you to stop! Do what you intend to do and you're throwing away your humanity!"

…

"Kurosaki!"

:

"ISHIDA-KUN!"

Orihime screamed as the newly resurrected Ichigo stabbed Ishida with his sword. Ishida flew back, skidded to a halt, and hit a boulder, Zangetsu sticking out of his torso. Blood stained his white shirt, and they spread faster. Orihime struggled to get up to her feet, unmindful to her own safety. "Ishida-kun! Ishida—" At last, she succeeded, swayed slightly, but she stood her ground firmly. However, fear still throbbed inside her body and as a manifestation, her legs _cannot _stop shaking. Weakly, Orihime tried to keep upright but in two to three steps, she lost balance, fell to her knees and hands, shaking harder, breathless.

"R…run, I-Inoue-san…" Orihime heard Ishida's faint order. Slowly, she looked up, eyes wide in horror as she felt the approaching dense, evil aura. Her mouth trembled in fear, and her shaking increased. _I'm… I'm… I can't… breathe…_ The reiatsu was choking her. Fear crippled her lungs.

"_You…"_

Hearing the rough, warped voice, Orihime turned her face around. Shadow fell over her.

"Inoue-san!"

Orihime was frozen in fear. She never knew… such _fear _exists.

"_Sa… Save…"_

Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again, but no words came out.

"_You… I… I… I will…"_

A tear clung to her eyelashes, it trembled before falling from her eye, followed by another and another until both of her cheeks were wet.

"…_save… you… I'll… save you… You…_"

He was reaching a clawed hand to her.

"_You… Protect… You… I… I'll… save… you… I'll save… you…"_

Orihime put a hand on her mouth, suppressing her sobs as _he _continued to reach out to her with one clawed hand. Tears clouded her vision as she continued to sob shakily, watching _him _dragged _his _feet towards her as though _he _was in pain.

"_You… I'll… save you… I'll save you._"

The words became clearer as _he _talked longer.

"_I'll save you… I'll… save you…"_

"Kurosaki-kun… Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime whispered brokenly. _Why… why? Kurosaki-kun… what happened? _He was closer now. _Are you there? Are you Kuro—_

"…_Inoue."_

Her body became numb and frozen. He… _recognizes me!_

"_Inoue."_

He repeated, firmer, clearer this time.

The fact that he recognized her didn't make her happy. It caused even more pain, anguish and horror. Even shame. Was it… because of her…? Was it because of her… he became like _this_? This… this horrifying… _monster_?

Her mind screamed a vicious _no!_ Denying… denying the possibility. _No! _But the logical part of her provided the horrible affirmation.

_You. Yes, you—_

Her conscience mocked.

_Just to save me… you— My weakness— it was _me. _It was my fault. My fault… My fault…_

_"HELP, KUROSAKI-KUN!_"

Her helpless scream. Her despair.

"It's… my fault… isn't it… Kurosaki-kun?" She murmured, tears pouring out of her. "It's my… fault… I… I… I… I'm…"

"_I'll save you… I'll… save… you… Inoue… you… you…"_

Tears fell to the floor continuously as Orihime continued to look up to him. She pressed a shaking fist against her mouth while the other hand clutched her skirt. The hand with black claws was a scant meter away from the top of her head. In closer inspection, Orihime noticed it was shaking.

The hand was _shaking._

Faintly, Orihime heard Ishida calling out her name from the distance, to run away, to stay away. But it was so faint. She shut down her other senses. Or, pain… shut down her other senses. Right now, nothing mattered. Only _pain._ Pain. More pain. Pain that became everything. Pain that overwhelmed even her strongest feelings for the boy behind that horned mask.

_He's hurt. _

_He's in pain._

This painful realization made her tear up uncontrollably.

_Oh god… what have I done? What have I done to Kurosaki-kun! _

"Kurosaki-kun… Please, please…" she sobbed in despair, pain… A pain too great to describe was overwhelming her small body, her frail heart which was breaking, breaking, _breaking _into pieces. "I—" She was stunned with so much feelings as his clawed fingers picked up a lock of auburn hair.

"_Save… Save…"_

Slowly, quivering, biting her lower lip to contain her sobs, Orihime lifted her hand from her mouth to reach up to his large hand.

"Inoue-san, _don't!_"

"…I'm sorry, I'm sorry… Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry… Please, _I'm so sorry—"_

_I turned you into a monster!_

"I'm sorry—"

"_I'll save you… Save… save…"_

Before she could touch him, he snatched his hand away, made a savage turn and gave a loud, blood-curdling, animal roar. His jaw had snapped open as he screamed, releasing a blast of dense, black reiatsu. Behind him, Orihime gave a yelp at the vicious pressure, waves and waves of condensed reiatsu washed over the place.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cried out, but his scream drowned hers.

Ishida gawked at his scream. _This cry… Kurosaki… This is not some normal cry. What has happened to you? _His eyebrows scrunched together. _Such… raw emotions… Are you… _The Quincy swallowed— _in pain, Kurosaki?_ He gasped in shock as he flash stepped and reappeared a second later in front of him, seized the zanpakutou, yanked it off him and faced the newly-regenerated enemy. Ulquiorra stood in one solid leg while the other was still in the process of regenerating itself. The Quatro Espada procured his lance of reiatsu. Lanza del relampago.

"We'll finish this, Kurosaki Ichigo."

He was responded with a roar.

:

To Orihime's horror, the horned creature bent down and gathered energy between the tips of his horn.

A Cero.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ulquiorra released his attack before Kurosaki can finish gathering reiatsu.

"STOP!"

The streak of light hit one of Kurosaki-kun's horns. It caused the horn and the half of his skull mask to crack and shatter, revealing his face and his strange eye: gold iris, black sclera. He looked dazed, eye half-lidded and mouth slightly parted.

"…Kurosaki-kun."

For a moment, Orihime thought he heard her, because his eye moved and found her.

"…I…"

Orihime's eyes widened, catching the movement of his mouth. He was falling forward, in slow-mo. "Kuro…" But he stabbed his sword and broke his fall, putting all his weight on the zanpakutou. He breathed deeply, his mask half-on, his eye dazed.

"…I'll… save…"

He straightened, although his shoulders were slumped forward, yanked Zangestu off the ground and lifted it.

"…you."

Fresh tears fell down her already moist cheeks, but no sob came this time. Orihime was still on her knees, hands on the ground, watching him, wide-eyed. "Why… why… Please… stop, stop already… Stop it… Kurosaki-kun…"

Ulquiorra silently assessed the situation.

"Stop… Stop… Please, Kurosaki-kun, stop it… Don't… don't get hurt anymore…" Her teeth clenched, as she remembered Nel's words.

_There ith no way heth not suffering! Of course he ith! But… but Ichigo is uthing that power… for you! He'th fighting for your sake! He wore that mask for you! Even thought it hurts… He still fights!_

"No…"

_Stop…_

"…Kurosaki-kun…"

…_stop it… I'm not—_

"Stop…"

He raised Zangetsu in front of him. Tears multiplied, thickened. Her already broken heart was in pieces, and her mind was in the verge of cracking. _Stop this pain… _She had to stop this. She had to. She had to stop bringing pain to her friends… to Kurosaki-kun. Why did it come to this? She came to Hueco Mundo so that her friends, Kurosaki-kun…everyone would not get hurt, but what happened? Everything was ruined, everything was a big mistake! Her plan… backfired to her.

How cruel.

She had to stop this.

_I had to!_

Fighting the tremble of her legs, Orihime struggled to get up. She bit her lip, pushed herself up and determinedly stayed upright. Ishida, who caught her movement from the corner of his eye, stiffened in panic. He opened his mouth to tell her to stay where she was but she spoke in her tearful, broken voice.

"…Kurosaki-kun… _Stop!"_

She broke into an unsteady run.

"Please… Don't fight anymore! Don't get hurt anymore!"

Ishida sat up, horrified. "Inoue-san! Stay back!" But the girl didn't listen.

"Stop fighting! You don't have to save me… You don't have to try so hard… You don't have to win…" She sobbed. "Because… I…" Orihime steeled her resolve. This will hurt. It will… definitely… _hurt. _But she deserved it. She deserved this pain, the pain of acceptance.

She's…

"I… I… _I'm not worth it!_" Orihime screamed the last words so loudly in her broken, sad voice. Ishida watched as Kurosaki turned his head towards her running figure as soon as she released those words. However, there was a blinding light being released.

_Ulquiorra!_ Ishida thought in horror.

"Inoue-san! Move back—"

Too late.

:

"_Inoue-san!"_

_Huh?_

A streak of light, of reiatsu. Lanza del relampago. Orihime looked to her right where the light was coming from. Ulquiorra—

A blur appeared before her. Startled, she looked up.

"Kurosaki-kun…—" Barehanded, he caught the lance of condensed reiatsu. Ulquiorra and Ishida were both stunned, although Ulquiorra hid his astonishment well.

_Barehanded… again?_

Clawed hands closed around the lance. Deformed, the lance was tossed over Orihime's head carelessly. It flew in the direction of other towers, and as it hit, the pillars crumbled.

Orihime remained staring up to Kurosaki's half-masked face. Up close, his reiatsu was even more powerful, crushing her. But… he _felt so warm._ He wasn't looking at her, but at Ulquiorra's direction.

"Kuro—" Orihime gasped as the other half of the mask started to crumble before her eyes. Long hair receded and to her surprise, before her eyes, the hole in his chest started to close up.

"I'm sorry, Inoue."

Still wide-eyed, she looked up to his face. Still, he wasn't looking at her. After a few tense seconds, his head turned.

A sad, small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he glanced at her, his strange eyes shadowed behind his hair.

"I… scared you again."


	2. to watch your so nice smile

"Kurosaki-kun, I—"

"I understand if trusting me after seeing me like that would be difficult," Ichigo cut off quietly. Still with that small smile that Orihime could not read, the orange-haired shinigami glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "But, let me assure you."

Orihime listened with wide eyes filled with raw emotions.

The small somewhat-smile vanished completely, replaced by fierce determination.

"…please, trust me!"

Her teary wide eyes widened more.

"…Inoue."

She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Her throat hurt, her mind, her thoughts were tangled. Again, she tried to voice her thoughts, say something. Anything. But it was difficult. Fear, pain, confusion, all these emotions were sending her thoughts and feelings tangling together. It was difficult to form a coherent thought, moreover, articulate a _coherent_ word.

Ichigo saw her inner turmoil, sensed the confusion. He smiled again _that_ small, strange smile. A smile so familiar.

"I understand."

Orihime blinked, dumbfounded and wide-eyed.

Ichigo stepped away from her, holding her stunned gaze. "I'll keep protecting you, though."

_That _smile again. _Yes, I've seen that smile before…_ Orihime tried to recollect, to place that smile. _But— where? _ Silence hung between them. He was smiling—

_Hey! Morning, Inoue!_

But— Caramel-colored eyes blinked. _I remember now!_

:

"_Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!"_

_She saw him stiffen before turning to her. "Hey! Morning, Inoue!" She blinked. _

"_Wha… what was that? Kurosaki's in a real good mood today? Isn't he, Orihime?" Michiru exclaimed. She remained quiet, staring after the orange-haired boy._

"_Why is Kurosaki-kun so tense?"_

:

That smile. _That smile…_

Orihime lifted a hand to reach out, but Ichigo abruptly turned away to face Ulquiorra. The auburn-haired girl stiffened at the gesture, staring up to Ichigo's scowling profile, not smiling _that fake _smile anymore. Muscles contracted around Ichigo's mouth as he growled.

"Let's finish this… Ulquiorra."

The green gaze remained dead, empty.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

His voice was deader.

Ichigo moved so that he was standing in front of Orihime, completely blocking her from Ulquiorra's view. "I…" Ichigo's eyebrows lowered in a tense straight line, molars grinding. "I cut off your arm and leg, didn't I?"

"Does it matter?" Ulquiorra stated blankly.

Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed. "The one who fought you," he paused heavily, debating whether the next words were true, "…wasn't me. It was my Hollow form and I had no control over it."

"No control?" repeated Ulquiorra. "You recognized _that_ woman." An expression, a flicker of suppressed— badly concealed— emotion passed Ichigo's face, quickly masked by a stubborn scowl.

"If you want to settle this, then, cut off my arm and leg, too."

Ishida and Orihime gasped.

"Kurosaki! Do you understand what you are saying?" snapped Ishida from where he sprawled. "Kurosaki!" Behind Ichigo, Orihime remained silent, watching Ichigo's back with wide eyes, lips trembling.

"Is it pity, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo raised Zangetsu in front of him, eyes narrowed, jaw tight as he clenched his teeth together. "Pity?" Brown eyes hardened, the irises were pale gold. When he spoke, it was a low growl that hissed between his tightly clenched teeth. "I won't show you pity, Ulquiorra." His lips curled. "Even a _slightest_ pity." Knuckles turned white as Ichigo's grip tightened around Zangetsu's hilt. Viciously, black blade slashing air as Ichigo swung it forward, pointing the tip in Ulquiorra's direction. "Fix yourself. I will definitely finish this and take Inoue away from this goddamned place!"

Ulquiorra coldly met his glare. "All right. If that's what you want."

"K-Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime whispered behind him shakily.

"I'm sorry, Inoue. You have to wait again, but not for long. I'll finish this quickly."

"But… Y-you… don't have to—"

"No!" Suddenly enraged, Ichigo savagely turned to her, and Orihime stepped back in shock at the anger in his voice. His brown eyes were pale and piercing; burning with strong feelings she could not read nor comprehend. "I'll finish this! You…" His teeth gritted as he struggled to talk coherently, think straight, stay calm. "You're not going to be safe as long as they are not defeated. After Ulquiorra, I'll defeat Aizen too!"

At the mention of _that _dreaded name, something inside Orihime snapped. "You don't have to… Aizen… he's… Kurosaki-kun— you can't— you're…"

"No." He said with solid finality, turning his back on her, giving her no room for argument.

"You'll just get hurt _more _and—"

"I don't care."

"Please listen to me!" Orihime cried out, tears slashing down her front. "Please—"

"Trust me."

:

Orihime jerked back.

"Please, trust me."

Ichigo turned his head to the side, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. His expression was unreadable, shadowed, but there was a _feeling _in that look, something soft, something fragile underneath the solid, strong facade.

"You're worth it."

:

After that, he exploded in a dash towards Ulquiorra, Zangetsu slashing the air, orange hair being pushed back by air as he flew forward. Ulquiorra met him halfway, lanza del relampago in one hand. Zangetsu swung forward, Ichigo's lip curling as he swung his zanpakuto forcefully, black and red reiatsu swirling around the black blade.

"Getsuga…"

"Hn." Ulquiorra prepared to throw the lance like a javelin.

Ichigo sneered, "…ten—" Brown eyes widened. _What the—_

_Tsshhh._

Orihime gasped, hands flying to her mouth. Ichigo halted his attack just in time, stopped in midair, stabbed Zangetsu on the floor as he skidded to a halt, crouching in one knee. "…!" He looked up quickly, eyes wide, eyebrows in a frown.

Ulquiorra's black wings had started to dissolve in ash. However, his passive face remained emotionless as ever. "Hmph." He briefly closed his eyes.

:

Ichigo twitched minutely as he watched Ulquiorra addressed Orihime. The girl didn't look threatened, her small face and her eyes mirrored tired understanding and compassion as she met Ulquiorra's flat green gaze.

"I'm finally starting to find you interesting."

Ichigo's grip tightened, teeth pressed together. He blinked, eyes wide as Ulquiorra lifted a pale hand towards Orihime. _A Cero! _Ichigo thought in alarm, preparing to slash, cut that arm… _whatever _it will take to stop the attack, but he looked at Orihime. She looked surprised, staring at the white appendage with slender fingers and black nails.

_He… wasn't… aiming a Cero?_ Ichigo mused, confused. The next scene jerked him.

"Are you scared of me… woman?"

The question struck a chord inside Ichigo.

_Are you scared?_

Vaguely, he remembered her horror-stricken face when she first saw his mask during the fight with Grimmjow. With unnecessary force, he looked away from the scene, turning his face away.

In few heartbeats, Orihime replied.

"I'm not scared."

Briefly, Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut, face away.

:

"I see."

:

Ash flew and fell.

:

Ichigo stayed quiet as Inoue watched the body dissolved into ashes.

"Inoue…"

:

Aizen Sousuke closed his eyes briefly. "Gin."

The lanky, grinning ex-captain, who was enjoying the fight between the green-haired little girl and Wonderweiss, turned to him. "Yes, Aizen-sama?"

Eyelids slowly lifted, revealing brown eyes, blank and cold as ever. A small indulgent smile tugged at his lips. "If you may." They exchanged glances discreetly. Gin's grin remained unchanged as he gave a small nod.

"Yes, yes. If you wish, Aizen-sama." Gracefully, he lifted one hand and made a simple horizontal slash movement in the air. A rip appeared where he moved his hand, a rip that slowly elongated horizontally before gaping wide, spacious enough for Gin to pass through. Soul reapers and Vaizards alike looked up to watch this unusual development. Gin's grin seemed to widen at the attention.

"Ah, I am going to blush. Please, don't look at me. It's embarrassing."

Shinji's upper lip curled suspiciously. He didn't like the expression on Aizen's face. He didn't like it because it offered no clues on what the fuck was going on inside the megalomaniac's brain. Right now, what Shinji wanted to do was to _break _that face open. Yes, crack that fucked up face open. That way, he'd be able dissect Aizen's brain and who _fucking _knows, maybe he'd be able to understand the ambitious bastard.

"…asshole." He muttered, wiping the blood on his eye.

Kira Izuru stood up abruptly from his crouching position. "Taichou…!"

The ex-3rd Division Captain glanced down to Kira's wide-eyed glare. He grinned as a response and gave a mocking wave. "I'm sorry, Kira. I have something to go and get." Gin placed a foot inside the Garganta. "Bye-bye~"

"Taichou!"

Yamamoto-soutaichou watched this development with keen eyes.

:

Silence wrapped around the three figures standing atop the dome.

Orihime's arm swung back to her side lifelessly, while Ichigo remained staring at her back. She was motionless for a while, like a pretty statue in dirty white clothes with torn sleeves. Auburn hair with hints of orange swayed around her shoulders in thick straight waves.

There was no sound.

Only momentary stillness.

"Inoue." Ichigo tried again, louder this time. He raised an arm to touch her shoulder. "Are you hurt? Inoue—" Startling him, the girl turned around suddenly, hair whipping around her like a cape. Ichigo jerked back in surprise, his hand flinching back. There was a look in her face that trapped the words he wanted to say inside his throat, thus, he needed to swallow the lump, clear his throat before trying to speak again.

"I…" His eyebrows furrowed. Unable to hold her direct gaze any longer, he averted his eyes. The bones of his knuckles popped out as he gripped Zangetsu tighter.

"Kurosaki-kun…" Her voice had always been soft, and small. As though, she didn't want to be heard. "Are you alright? I'll heal you—"

"No." Ichigo answered abruptly. It sounded bitter and sharp to his ears. He can feel her bewildered stare. "Look after him first."

"…I'm sorry? Kurosaki-kun—"

"Ishida." He sounded gruff, but strangled at the same time.

The Quincy, hearing the exchange, blinked once and offered a strained, very faint smile. Or smirk. "…what a pathetic expression you got there, Kurosaki." Hearing Ishida's voice must have jolted Orihime out of her stupor. She turned around to her other friend quickly, her long hair flying around her pale face. Seeing the bloody stump and the red thickness that stained his white shirt, Orihime panicked.

"Ishida-kun!" She rushed to the Quincy, passed Ichigo without even a glance, whilst summoning her fairies. In minutes, the healing had begun.

:

From the corner of his eye, he watched her work. Her golden shield lightened up the dreary, morose scene. A frown of concentration marred her forehead; her long lashes lowered, hiding her eyes. His stare dropped to her pale, long fingers.

Her little hands.

:

Through the transparent yellow glow of Soten Kisshun, Ishida watched Kurosaki brood, eyebrows furrowed, and mouth in a tight line. The furrowed eyebrows were different from his usual day-to-day scowl. It wasn't the normal scowl, the type he wore around school, when he was with his friends. It was different. It looked… desperate.

And he looked pathetic, his Quincy pride added.

And dare he add, ashamed.

And… pained.

Vaguely, he wondered, _what did Kurosaki do in his past life to deserve such troublesome responsibility_? Being a substitute had its inconvenience, obviously. He had a fair share— or more than what was due— of misfortunes and immense responsibility. Hell, he was _only _a substitute but the problems arising concerning him and those people around him was nowhere in comparison to those shinigami captains had encountered.

Ishida, for a moment, allowed himself to pity the orange-haired boy.

"Fix your face, Kurosaki."

The shinigami glanced at him from the corner of his eye without moving his head.

"It wasn't you."

He saw Kurosaki jerk, brown eyes widening.

"It wasn't you." He repeated. "…idiot."

The brows remained furrowed as Kurosaki muttered tightly, "Ishida…"

"It wasn't you who cut off my hand, anyway." Ishida shrugged. "So, stop making a pathetic face." He looked down to his arm. "That was fast, Inoue-san." He lifted his face to smile lightly at the bright-haired girl, who offered a strained smiled in return.

"Are… you okay, Ishida-kun? Are you hurt somewhere else aside from your arm and stomach?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for healing me."

Orihime nodded, the yellow shield vanishing as Ayame and Shun'o flew back to her hairpins.

Ishida looked back to Kurosaki, who was watching Orihime with an unreadable expression, a cross between a frown and a scowl, between worry and relief. In truth, the expression was hard to decipher. There were varying emotions _there _and they mixed that even with his sharp eye and analytical skills, Ishida was unable to read Kurosaki's feelings correctly.

"I think Kurosaki needs your help, Inoue-san." Ishida said, his eyes on Kurosaki. The girl visibly stiffened, while Kurosaki, who, Ishida guessed, saw Orihime's reaction, looked away quickly, turning his back on them.

"Yes… Of course."

Orihime slowly got up to her feet.

:

Her footsteps were quiet, but he felt her drew nearer. Her rieatsu confirmed it.

"Ah…" Her voice was soft, very small. "K-K… Kurosaki-kun." And it trembled as she spoke his name.

Ichigo closed his eyes tightly.

_Damn it._

"If you could, um… please, turn around."

His grip on Zangetsu tightened.

"K… Kurosaki-kun?"

"I'm sorry."

She gasped. "W-what…?"

"Are you scared?" He asked gently, his voice distant. "Of course, you are. I… looked…" he swallowed hard, "I looked scary. More frightening than before. I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you again, but…"

Another pause, another swallow.

He fixed his gaze somewhere, but he wasn't seeing anything.

"I even hurt Ishida in front of you. I became something hateful, didn't I?" He paused again, "I understand if you want to keep your distance. You don't have to fix me, okay?" He started to move, walking forward, farther from her. "Conserve your reiatsu. You'll need it later."

"Kurosaki-kun! Wait! Please, stop—"

He didn't. Moreover, he walked faster.

And then, he stiffened, feet freezing as he felt a small, warm hand on _his _hand, tugging him back. Her grip was strong despite her size but what startled him was the warmth.

"Please, stop."

Ichigo pressed his teeth together, the muscles of his jaw contracting. He let her hold his hand, lifting his arm backward. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for scaring you—"

"Please, don't apologize."

The orange-haired teen sighed deeply, bowing his head, brows in deep furrow. _What else is there for me to do if I'm not allowed to apologize? _His teeth gnashed together in desperation.

"It was I who should apologize, Kurosaki-kun."

Startled, he looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened, eyebrows lifting as he saw Orihime's face. Tears were coursing down her pale, smooth cheeks; however, there was a small, bittersweet smile on her face as her eyes crinkled in half-moons, thick, long lashes wet with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun."

"Inoue…"

"Oh, I'm crying…" She gently lowered his hand to lift her small hands to touch her face and catch the teardrops in the palm of her hands. "I cry a lot, ne?" She remained smiling, though. "All I do is cry… scream your name, watch you get hurt and wait for you to finish." Her tongue came out to lick her dry lips, eyes blinking. "I'm sorry that you have to come for me… But you know…"

Ichigo watched her lashes lift slowly, _very slowly_. Her eyelashes were incredibly long that they brushed the swells of her cheeks. They looked thicker now because of the tears that clung to each lash. He had noticed before that when she blinks, her eyes closed quickly, but opened slowly as though she didn't want to see anything, hide her eyes that see _everything _and sleep, _sleep and sleep, _hiding from reality.

When she opened her eyes and looked at him, Ichigo flinched inside. Her eyes were wide and teary, hazel, and very, very tired.

She needed to go home and forget everything, that's what Ichigo thought.

"…I was doing well here." Orihime cleared her throat. "I… I'm not happy here, but everyone is nice, well… not everyone. There were some who aren't and some are scary but…" she forced another teary smile, "really, you should not have come to help me."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo moved to grab her arm but something stopped him from doing so. His hand on her skin?

No.

_No._

To touch something so…

He swallowed hard. No, he could not touch her, he _would not _touch something so good, so pure.

"…what the hell. You? Doing _fine _here?" he growled.

Orihime blinked. "…well, I haven't eaten for a while, but—"

"That's _pointless_, Inoue."

She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.

"You know… your duty is to protect Karakura." She heaved a deep sigh and flashed another smile. "Not running after traitors—"

Unbidden, without thinking, Ichigo grabbed her shoulder and pulled her forward, forgetting his earlier vow of not touching her. For Orihime's part, if circumstances were different, she would have blushed and fainted. But…

"…and getting yourself hurt." She continued softly.

Brown eyes widened angrily. "Ino—"

"…I'm not worth it." It was quiet but he heard it loudly. The grip on her shoulder tightened, but she continued, "I'm _not _worth it." She repeated firmly, with more emphasis, with more tears. Though, Ichigo was sure, Orihime was not aware of her tears. "I'm not… You… you didn't have to come _here. _Kurosaki-kun should have stayed in Karakura to protect his important people. Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, Renji-kun… should not have come here."

Ishida, who was watching discreetly, sensed the increase in reiatsu, growing frustration, the deepening frown, the frightening intensity in _those _eyes.

"And now… you're hurt and… you even turned into _something_ because of _me—" _She hiccupped so hard that her body trembled. "I'm not worth it, Kurosaki-kun. I'm really sorry—"

"_Idiot_!"

Orihime jumped.

The hand on her shoulder slipped down to grip her arm. Orihime became aware of the tightness of his grip. It didn't hurt, but it was tight. Ichigo even lifted her slightly to her tiptoes, his glaring face hovering in front of hers.

"I don't fucking care where I have to look for you… But trust me."

Her gray eyes were wide as she stared at him, mouth slightly parted.

"I'll find you…"

"K…Kuro…saki-kun…"

"…and I'll bring you back."

More tears filled her eyes and spilled down to her cheeks.

"I'll bring you home."

In closer inspection, he saw her lower lip tremble.

"I came not because I have to." His grip tightened, his frown deepened and his stare had frighteningly sharpened and intensified. "I came because I _want _to."

Her lips were trembling. Swallowing and finally realizing the way he was gripping her arm and the close proximity between their faces, Ichigo slowly released her arm and averted his face. "Hell, you're not expecting us to sit back and do nothing. You idiot." He said the last word without conviction, almost lamely. "I'll always come."

"…why?"

Indeed.

Ichigo's jaw twitched. He looked at her and twitched again uncomfortably. Because her direct stare was… very _direct._

He forced a grin. "Because I'm a superhero."

She blinked repeatedly, slowly. "…superhero?"

"And you…" He swallowed. _Again. _He sighed mentally. "You should stop crying."

"Oh… I'm so sorry, I'm just…" She hurried to wipe her face. "Please sit down, Kurosaki-kun. You're very tall and it is very hard to look up to see your face for a very long time."

"Ah, sure." He got down and Orihime kneeled in front of him, summoning her healing shield. As she worked, Ichigo carefully studied her. "You're not hurt, are you, Inoue?"

She blinked and focused her gaze to him. "I'm fine! You know me, healthy since birth! I don't easily get sick and hurt because I'm super strong because like Kurosaki-kun, I am a superhero too!" She wrinkled her brows. "But not as strong as Kurosaki-kun or Kuchiki-san!" She smiled again and dropped her gaze.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure about what, Kurosaki-kun?"

"That you're unhurt."

"Yes, I am so sure!" She smiled, her eyes crinkling. "You saved me."

Ichigo's eyes widened a little. "Ah… uh, yeah." He looked away. "I saved you." But something still felt wrong. He turned his face towards her again with a frown. "…but is there something wrong?"

Their eyes met. "…Eh?"

"Is there something wrong?" Ichigo repeated firmly.

Something flickered in those wide eyes. And the corner of her mouth lifted. "Nothing is wrong. Is there something bothering Kurosaki-kun…?"

He scowled, intimidating her. "Don't hide your feelings. I can feel it. Your anxiety."

"…?"

"I feel your reiatsu."

Ishida, who was listening vaguely without watching them, raised an eyebrow.

"It's thick with worry. No, you're scared, Inoue."

"I am… Not of Kurosaki-kun!" She added quickly, catching Ichigo's expression. "Kurosaki-kun—"

"It's okay." He scratched the back of his head as he looked away. "I can't blame you for being scared of me."

"But I'm not."

His eyes snapped back to her. Her gray eyes looked tired and distant, giving an indication that she was reminiscing. "I was scared… Kurosaki-kun. I was scared… I was really scared…" Her lower lip was trembling.

"Inoue…"

"…because every time I watched you, you're always a step away from death. You… You… I… I'm always scared that… that…"

"You're worried." Ichigo cut off quietly. Orihime gasped, looking up to meet his gaze. His eyebrows weren't furrowed but relaxed. "I should not feel this way but," the corner of his mouth slightly lifted in a small half-smile.

"I'm glad that you are always scared for me."

This time, he had _smiled_. It wasn't sunny as hers, wide like Renji's, wise like Rukia's, simply comforting like Chad's or smartass like Ishida's. But it was a _smile._ It was… different. It was a little bashful. Awkward. A little goofy. Strained. Very tired. Amused, maybe? Arrogant… maybe? Happy… Maybe.

It was a smile of different variety. Thus, it was difficult to decipher, to name.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

He was grinning now.

"Thank you, Inoue."


	3. to protect something very strong

She smiled just a beautifully as their halcyon days together.

"You're welcome, Kurosaki-kun."

Her reiatsu felt so much warmer now.

:

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai watched quietly, observing.

His eyes narrowed, unblinking.

From the distance, Aizen Sousuke returned the stare unflinchingly.

"Sou-taichou."

The Gotei 13 leader didn't respond. Sasakibe waited patiently. Yamamoto held Aizen's challenging gaze.

Without looking at his lieutenant, he said, "Keep your guard up."

"Hai." The lieutenant gave a snappy nod.

_Aizen._ Yamamoto's division captain robe flung behind him, his beard softly lifted in the breeze.

He closed his eyes.

:

Renji fell to his knees, his legs unable to support his weight anymore. "Goddamn it…" he hissed. "I'm hungry." He gave another curse, sighed deeply and looked around. Rukia was slouched, using Sode no Shirayuki to support her small body. Her eyes were closed, and she was panting. A frown of exhaustion marred her face. A few feet to her right, Chad looked comfortable sitting on the sand.

"Yo," the redhead drawled.

Automatically, a large tic pounded above Rukia's eyebrow. Her indigo eyes snapped open to glare at him. Although, Renji noted that the glare lacked its usual fierceness. "Shut up, Renji!"

"Eh? I was just checking if you're still alive!"

"I'll live if you stay quiet!" Rukia snapped back and eventually collapsed to her knees. Renji cursed and struggled to get up with the help of his zanpakuto.

"You sound like Ichigo," the redhead grumbled.

This time, the glare was irritated. "Oi! Don't you dare compare me to that idiot!" Renji muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. After a few pants, Rukia grunted and looked up. "I wonder what happened to Ichigo and Inoue… Was he able to save her?"

"Gah! Trust that monkey. He's got crazy reiatsu and it's _Inoue_, for fuck's sake," Renji drawled, rubbing his shoulder where Yammy managed to hit him. Damn… that _adolescent_ Arrancar, it was only a _graze _but it goddamned hurt. "He'd do any fucking thing to be a goddamned hero, that moron."

Rukia winced when she tried to move her ankle. _Crap._ Looked like she sprained it. She lifted her gaze to Chad who was silent the entire time. "Oi, Sado." She called out. The gentle giant turned to her. "You okay?" Chad managed a lame thumb's up sign and a nod.

"Hey! You didn't _ask _me if I was alright!" said Renji indignantly.

Rukia rolled her eyes as she looked up to her long-timed friend. "You're yappin' and yappin'. Do I need a confirmation that you're okay? Tch." Renji snorted loudly as a response. The corner of Rukia's mouth lifted.

_Idiot…_

"So… what now, eh?" inquired Renji, now rolling his shoulder in wide circles, grimacing every now and then. Rukia sighed, looking up to the five towers.

"We wait."

:

"I… Ano, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo looked at her in full attention.

Orihime frowned worriedly. "Kurosaki-kun… what will happen to Karakura? Everyone… Tatsuki-chan, your family, our friends…" Her skin had turned gray. Her large honey-colored eyes filled with worry. "Aizen… before he left…" She squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered. "He told me, he said… he'll destroy our town… after that, he'll return here." Orihime opened her eyes, and tried her best to keep a strong façade.

_That fucking bastard! _Ichigo frowned deeply, gritting his teeth. "We'll leave after you fix me." He looked down to his body. _Amazing. Even my kimono is being fixed?_ He returned his gaze to the healer. "I'll take you away from this place, Inoue."

Hazel eyes lifted to stare up at him.

He offered a small, tired smile. Nevertheless, it was full of confidence, of fire. "Together with Chad, Rukia, Renji and idiot Ishida, we will leave this place."

"…I…"

"And you won't set a foot in this place ever again."

"But…"

He frowned again, noticing her hesitance. "Inoue?"

She averted her gaze, biting her lip. "There is something… I must do before I leave."

Ichigo's brows furrowed deeply. Despite himself, he was worried. "What is it? It better be not dangerous, Inoue."

Her small unoccupied hand curled into a tiny fist. A look of fierce determination filled her eyes. "I… I'm the only one who can do it."

"It's dangerous." He growled. Orihime looked up to his scowling, defiant face.

"But…! But you haven't heard what I'm supposed to do!"

The shinigami snorted, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Still sounds dangerous! I don't like the way you said 'only' in your sentence, Inoue!"

"But it's true—"

"I'm done?" interrupted Ichigo, watching the shield dissolved into tiny, golden specks. Ayame and Shun'o flew back to her blue hairpins.

"Yes, but—"

"We're leaving now." Abruptly, Ichigo stood up, leaving Orihime kneeling on the ground, looking up to him. He barked over her head. "Ishida! Move your ass!"

"Shut up, Kurosaki!"

"Kurosaki-kun, wait— ah!" Ichigo bent down and gently took her arm to pull her up to her feet. Without a word, he grabbed her hips, lifted her easily and put her over his shoulder. Orihime gasped and protested. "Wait…! Ano, Kurosaki-kun—" Ishida merely raised his eyebrow at his action but stayed quiet.

Ichigo reached down and snatched his zanpakuto up. "Let's go."

Ishida joined him, looking placid. "…I think Inoue-san can walk."

"Are you an idiot? There are no stairs to walk on! We'll jump!" Ishida opened his mouth to counter, but Ichigo continued, "plus, who knows who'll turn up? The last time I saw Inoue, some bastard appeared and made a fucking vanishing act with her. I won't take any stupid chances! I'll have to keep my hands on her and make sure no one steals her again!"

:

_Inoue… where the hell are you? Did Ichigo save you?_

The idiot… he better made sure he did his job.

The three jerked when they felt a familiar reiatsu approaching their location. Not only one, but three— familiar, _very familiar— _spiritual pressure coming their way.

Renji turned his head. "This aura…"

Chad looked over his shoulder, now standing up. "…Ichigo."

The two shinigami turned their heads around, following Chad's line of sight. "…Ishida." Renji stated flatly, "and…"

A smile brightened Rukia's face. "Inoue!"

Renji glanced at his comrade's face and noted the genuine happiness etched on the small shinigami's face. This was one of the rarest moments wherein he saw Rukia _genuinely _happy. Not the type of I-am-happy face when she stands in front of Chappy Store or when she reads her manga, but a truly… happy, relieved face. Renji turned his gaze back to the arriving trio with a smirk.

_Good job, moron._

Ichigo and Ishida softly touched down. Ichigo lifted his gaze and smirked crookedly. "Still alive, huh? Idiots…"

Rukia immediately snarled. "Baka!" Renji made a rude hand gesture, while Chad merely smiled and gave a thumb's up sign.

"Ah? Kuchiki-san? _Kuchiki-san? _That's her voice!"

Rukia, Renji and Chad blinked.

"Inoue?" exclaimed Rukia.

"Ah! I heard Kuchiki-san's voice inside my head! Is this telepathy? Kurosaki-kun, you said we're going to save Kuchiki-san! We should hurry! And Sado-kun, too! And Renji-kun! Let's hurry!"

"There's no need to save a midget and a monkey, Inoue… They're fine. And Chad too."

"Where are they? I heard Kuchiki-san's voice! She's… she's… Kuchiki-san! Let's hurry! We have to help her, right? Let's go before it's too late! I want to see—"

"I'm here, Inoue."

Ichigo felt Orihime moved her head frantically about. "Where? Oh no… Kurosaki-kun, I'm hearing Kuchiki-san's voice!"

Rukia, who dragged her feet towards the orange-haired shinigami with a white bundle on his shoulder, forcefully turned Ichigo around, so that Orihime was facing her.

"Right here."

Orihime lifted her head, her long thick hair framing her face. Her eyes were large as they met Rukia's indigo eyes. A small smile cracked the usual stoic face of the female shinigami. Tears gathered around her hazel eyes as Orihime furiously blinked and sniffed. "Ku… Ku… Kuchiki-s-san…"

Rukia panicked. "Eh? Inoue, what's wrong? Ah, don't cry—"

"Kuchiki-san!"

"Ah!" Rukia was taken aback as Orihime threw her thin arms around her head. Behind Orihime, Ichigo let out a surprise yelp when she suddenly moved forward, jerking him back.

"Kuchiki-san! I was… I was… so… so…" The auburn-haired girl hiccupped and sobbed as she gripped the smaller girl in her arms. "I'm…so… happy… Kuchiki-san…"

Rukia blinked repeatedly, slightly flushed. "Ah…"

"I… I felt… you… I… thought— _you_ died and…"

Renji smirked lazily, watching Rukia's expression. She looked startled, even embarrassed at the display of affection and expression of worry from the kidnapped princess. Rukia never had _real_ female friends in Soul Society. She rarely received affectionate gestures, had lived in a company of testosterone-filled men all her life, and to be treated so _softly _by someone just a soft, Rukia must felt very _weird._

Weird but …okay.

Rukia's face softened as she patted Orihime's head. "Yeah, me, too. I'm glad you're okay."

Orihime pulled back, sniffing, a thin snot running from her nostril as tears flowed. "I'm so… happy you're—!"

_Bam!_

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped when he heard the familiar sound of Rukia's fist hitting a skull.

Orihime's skull.

Ishida, Renji and Chad winced at the scene— _that hurt! _Renji thought, _can't believe she hit Inoue. _But Chad and Ishida's winces were due to pity towards the dark-haired shinigami as Rukia clutched her hand that she used to hit Orihime's head.

"…damn it…" They heard her whimper as she crouched. "…what the hell… her head…"

"AHHHH! Kuchiki-san! What's wrong? Are you hurt? Kuchiki-san! Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is hurt!"

"…the hell?" Renji murmured, mouth slack, watching Rukia cursed. He glanced at Chad who pointed to his head. "Eh?" But Chad offered no elaboration.

"Kuchiki-san—"

"Idiot! Why the hell did you run off to Las Noches?" Rukia yelled, jumping up and grabbing the front of Orihime's collar.

Orihime bowed her head. "I'm sorry—"

"No! Sorry is not an answer!" the other girl chided.

"Kuchiki-san," Ishida started but Ichigo already turned abruptly— so abruptly that Orihime gasped at the speed.

"Now's not time for this, Rukia! Save your lectures some other time!" Ichigo snapped. His frown intensified. "You'll have your turn— after mine— and all the time you need to lecture her. But we have to find a way to leave this place before Aizen returns. We have to get Inoue out of this fucking place."

Rukia glared, "yeah. Fine. But how? Only Urahara has the knowledge to open a Garganta and he's _busy_ from the other side."

"…ano, Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime's tiny voice was ignored.

"Shit. The entrance Kenpachi used was also sealed up." Ichigo said. His hand on the back of Orihime's thighs tightened, causing the girl to blush.

"E-excuse me… I can—" Orihime squeaked, but was interrupted by Renji's booming voice.

"We're fucking trapped here. What do we do now, Ichigo?"

"S-sorry, but can you—"

Chad turned his head around curiously.

"Can _your_ captains do something useful for a change?" snapped Ichigo.

"…excuse me, everyone? Kurosaki-kun?"

"Ichigo." Chad called but Ichigo snapped back a reply to Ishida's witty remark. "Ichigo." He tried again.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Chad?" Ichigo finally acknowledged, nodding at his friend.

"Her face is red."

"Eh?" was Ichigo's intelligent reply. Chad quietly pointed an index finger. The orange-haired blinked, looking over his shoulder.

"Inoue is not moving." Chad added. Indeed, the girl was dangling boneless over his shoulder, unmoving. "She must be very dizzy. She's hanging upside down from your shoulder."

The substitute stiffened. "Crap! Sorry! Inoue, sorry!" Ichigo immediately dropped into a squat, allowing Orihime to put her feet back on the solid ground. The girl wobbled, and if the situation they were in was not life-threatening, Rukia would have laughed at Orihime's clumsiness. Even the girl's expression was comical. Ichigo put a hand on Orihime's shoulder to steady her, seeing the girl's unfocused gaze. "Are you alright, Inoue?"

"I… I'm fine… Just a little…" Orihime was flushed from the rush of blood.

Ishida's eyebrows made a straight line above his eyes. "You're an idiot as usual, Kurosaki."

"Shut up, Ishida!" snapped Ichigo. "Inoue, are you okay? Hey!"

"Don't yell at her, stupid!" Rukia snapped.

"I'm not yelling at her, midget!" Ichigo shouted back. Orihime blinked, watching her friends shout in front of her.

"Don't yell at Rukia, bastard!" Renji shouted.

"Fuck yes, I'm yelling _at her!_"

"You stupid substitute!"

"You good for nothing pineapple head!"

Orihime continued to look back and forth between Ichigo and Rukia. Beside Ichigo, Ishida shook his head. "Idiots, as usual. Inoue-san, do you have any idea how can we get out of this place?"

Orihime shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Ishida-kun. I don't know how to get us out of here…" Hesitantly, she looked up the five towers, a worried frown on her face.

Ishida noticed this. "Is there something wrong, Inoue-san?"

The bickering immediately stopped.

"Are you alright, Inoue!"

"What's wrong?"

Rukia and Ichigo demanded at the same time.

Orihime quickly smiled to hide her discomfort and hesitance. "Oh! Nothing's wrong! I'm fine… I'm fine."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She smiled widely at him.

"Now, what?" Renji wondered aloud. "Unless someone amongst us knows how to open a Garganta, we're stuck here. We have to hurry to the Human World to assist Gotei 13 in protecting your town."

Unease frowns marred the original residents of Karakura Town.

"Right…" Ichigo said tightly, scowling heavily. "We have to go back and protect Karakura. But how do we get out of here?"

Something heavy and cold fell around them.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. _What the fuck… this reiatsu!_

The group turned around, drawing weapons. Ichigo stepped closer to Orihime, an arm in front of the girl in defense, while Rukia did the same despite her exhaustion and suspected ankle sprain. Ishida stood tensely, Renji cursed and Chad quietly observed.

A rip was appearing in front of them.

The six individuals stiffened, tense. Behind Ichigo, Orihime started to tremble. Shakily, she lifted her hands to her chest and clasped them together.

"…K-K-Kurosaki-kun…"

"Don't worry, Inoue." Ichigo assured her quickly. He bit his lower lip, sensing Orihime's fear just at the tone of her voice. The frown deepened, creasing his forehead. "Just stay behind me."

"But the rieatsu…" Her thin voice was _shaking._ "…that's…t-that's—" Ishida glanced at her. His blue eyes rounded in alarm behind his glasses.

_Inoue-san… She's shaking…_ Somehow, Ishida understood her irrational fear. The reiatsu… it was shockingly strong, dense. And it was familiar. The Quincy could not shake the feeling of dread— a foreboding feeling. It felt like something was crawling under his skin and wrapping around his neck.

Before them, the rip gaped open.

:

"Stark. Barragan. Halibel."

The Soul Reapers and Vizards who were fighting the three mentioned enemies blinked and frowned as the three high-ranked Arrancars blurred, flash-stepped and appeared seconds later above the fake Karakura Town. Tousen relaxed his battle posture and like the four Arrancars, he flash-stepped, appearing beside Aizen. Hisagi and Komamura looked surprised. Vizards and Soul Reapers alike stared in confusion and suspicion.

Shinji turned his head around to look at his one-time underling with narrowed eyes and lipless sneer.

_What the hell are ya gonna do, ass?_

"Aizen…" Hitsugaya growled quietly, observing the ex-captain.

Hiyori was unimpressed. "What the fuck now?" She grumbled, face contorted in a scowl. Lisa waited patiently, but the crease on his forehead was tensed. She didn't trust this…development. Were they retreating now? No, they weren't in disadvantage. They can match Vizards' skills. What were they up to?

This silence… Lisa pressed her lips together. …_is dangerous._

The three Arrancars waited silently.

The tensed silence was compressive. Shinji simply observed the three Arrancars, and then switched into watching Aizen. There was no change in the traitor's face.

Shinji would have missed it if he blinked seconds earlier.

There was a _glint._

Shinji's eyes suddenly snapped wider. …_he's not…!_ He looked around, his eyes finding what they looked for. …_those bastards…_ Shinji looked back to Aizen, who simply smiled.

"No…" whispered Shinji, eyes filled with comprehension.

Aizen tilted his head to the side. His mouth leisurely opened.

"Begin."

Yamamoto opened his eyes.

Time and space seemed to freeze at that moment. Shinigamis stared in wide-eyed horror; Vizards', in surprise. There was no sound, but the characters involved moved in their own space. But the movements were in slow-mo, but the scene was clear. Mouths opened in silent screams, shouts, and orders. Limbs moved. Eyes bulged.

In the count of three…

Sounds came back.

And they were loud and unpleasant.

:

Ishida's eyes widened. "That's…"

Rukia paled, eyes round in horror. For some reason, her knees began to shake and sweat broke into her skin— cold, very cold chills. "…Ichimaru-taichou."

The newcomer waved a pale, long hand. "Hello."

Renji scoffed, "what the fuck. So, you and Aizen are not glued together like I used to believe, eh?"

Gin's grinning face remained unchanged. "I believe you have something that belongs to Aizen-sama."

"…something?" echoed Rukia, the irises of her eyes paled. _Something…? Does he mean…_ Her grip on Sode no Shirayuki tightened. _No… No… _She glanced behind her.

_Inoue!_

Ichigo seemed to comprehend the situation quickly. "Something… _something _that belongs to Aizen…" he said quietly, coldly, his head bowed. "Don't…" The others felt the spike in reiatsu. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME, ASSHOLE! INOUE DOESN'T BELONG TO _ANYONE!_" Reiatsu burst uncontrollably from him. Standing directly behind Ichigo, Orihime was thrown back a little, but Chad managed to catch her before she could fall backward.

Gin tilted his head to the side. "Sorry." A mocked apology. The grin widened. "I don't want to be harsh." His slanted eyes, though, closed, pierced Orihime. Chad felt the girl went rigid. He can _practically_ smell and feel her fear as she shook like a leaf against a breeze.

"But Inoue-san."

Chad frowned slightly; by this time, Orihime seemed like she was having a mini-seizure. He saw her eyes. They were bulging in paralyzed fear. He turned to Ichigo to inform the boy, but the substitute was busy releasing his anger and frustration.

Gin lifted one pale, impossibly long hand. "…we have to go. We have a schedule."

"I said…" Ichigo gritted out, "_don't fuck with me!_" He charged forward, a burst of wind and reiatsu behind him.

"Ichigo!" yelled Rukia. She prepared to follow him, but Renji stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. "Renji!"

Renji pulled her back roughly with one hand. "Don't! You'll just burden Ichigo!"

"What the hell are you talking about! We can't let him fight alone! Ichimaru is dangerous!"

"I know! But—"

"Abarai-san is correct."

Rukia turned to Ishida, who looked tense. "…Ishida!"

"What we can do is protect Inoue-san." Ishida said firmly.

The petite shinigami dug her teeth on her bottom lip. She glanced at the petrified auburn-haired girl whose whole body was shaking. She would have collapsed backward if not for Chad's support. The half-Mexican looked at them. "Minna…" he started in his deep voice, and then looked down to Orihime.

"Inoue…" Rukia hurried to her female friend, noticing the look in those gray eyes. "Inoue… what's wrong?"

"I… I…" Orihime stammered.

Rukia took both of Orihime's arms and shook her. "Inoue!" She tightened her grip worriedly. She had never seen someone so scared, so tiny, so fragile that _trembled _so hard before.

"Guys…" Ishida said, enough for the four of them to hear. Renji and Rukia looked at him curiously. The Quincy was staring at the opened… _Garganta._ His head turned to meet the gazes of his friends. "A _Garganta_." He muttered. Renji's frown deepened. Discreetly, he stole a glance at Rukia and Orihime.

"Fuck." He rasped, his eye twitching. His gaze moved back to Ishida, who moved his eyebrows in the middle. "Tch…" Startling Rukia, Renji put an arm around her small shoulders. The girl looked up to him in surprise, bewildered. Over Rukia's head, the redhead gave Chad a stiff nod. The gentle giant returned the gesture and unceremoniously lifted Orihime off the sandy ground. The girl only stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Renji, what the hell—" Rukia's eyes widened. "Renji!"

"Shut up! You're going to _use _this Garganta to freaking leave this place! Take Inoue with you!"

"But—"

"No buts! Our priority is Inoue's safety! Ichigo will be able to fight properly if Inoue's safety is guaranteed!" Renji interrupted angrily. Effortlessly, he dragged the struggling small shinigami towards the opening of the passageway.

"But how about Ichigo— he can't fight alone!"

"Idiot! You think he's gonna hog the fight!"

Rukia blinked.

"Of course I'll stay and fucking help his ass!"

Rukia gasped, "Renji—"

"Ah, don't worry about—"

"IDIOT!"

"—Ichigo. Oi, Ishida, go with them!" Renji shoved Rukia to Ishida who held the female shinigami's shoulders.

"Wait! Renji—"

"Gah! Don't worry! I'll watch over that idiot!"

"I'm not worried about— _idiot! _Renji! Renji!" Rukia shouted repeatedly, struggling against Ishida's grip. Renji pointedly ignored her, tapping Chad on the shoulder.

"Hop in, big guy!"

"Kurosaki-kun—" Orihime's big teary eyes made Renji pitied her.

"Gah! Everyone's frigging worried about that idiot strawberry…" Renji grumbled sourly. Rukia continued to struggle.

"Renji! _Renji!_"

"Quit your yapping! Look after Inoue! And don't get lost!" The redhead smirked at Rukia, before turning around. Ishida jumped into the passageway, bringing Rukia with him. Behind him, Chad did the same, Orihime tucked in his arm against his side.

"Renji!"

:

"Oh no."

Ichigo leaped back, gritting his teeth. He glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Inoue's wide-eyed face. He tried to give her a reassuring smile but the look of terror on her face was raw.

"I failed to deliver her to Aizen-sama."

Ichigo snapped his heated, narrowed gaze back to Gin. "She's not an object, you bastard!"

Gin scratched the back of his head. "Ah, gomen, gomen, Kurosaki-san." His unchanging façade was fueling Ichigo's fury and frustration. "But she really is an _object_. Moreover, that _object_ belongs to Aizen-sama."

"You…" Ichigo's face was turned down, unruly orange hair hiding his eyes. His jaw was clenched _so _tightly, teeth grinding violently. The grip on Zangetsu's hilt tightened with loud 'crunch'. Bandages unfurled and lashed violently around the orange-haired shinigami. Renji narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. The idiot's reiatsu was rising dangerously. This time, _very_ fast. It was thick with rage, choking him.

_The fuck… You— _the heavy reiatsu fell heavily over Renji that his knees shook. _Shit… shit! Shit!_ "Ichigo!" Renji shouted. "Damn it! Calm down—"

"She's not an object." It was spoken quietly. Renji stared at Ichigo's back, his tattered kimono lashing around him. _Bankai…? Crap! How long had he been using bankai! _He saw veins popped out from Ichigo's skin as he gripped his zanpakuto tighter. "She's not a _fucking _object!"

Gin watched quietly. His grin widened.

"…humans are merely playthings. It's just that… she is interesting."

Black and red reiatsu exploded from the substitute shinigami, hacking at Renji. Sand rose and scattered. A wave of fierce wind rose behind the orange-head, and hit the towers. Renji cursed and lifted an arm to shield his eyes. "Shit! You retard… _control your fucking reiatsu!_" hollered the redheaded shinigami. "_ICHIGO!_"

Behind them, one of the towers, the one nearest to Ichigo and Renji, exploded into splinters and debris, which were blown away, while several fell around them. Renji yelled out curses. "Damn it! _Damn it, you fucking retard!_" Rubble continued to fall around them, reiatsu swirled and nipped at their skins. The dense cloud of thick, black reiatsu scattered as Ichigo roared.

"DAMN YOU!"

:

"We're almost there!" Ishida announced, still pulling Rukia who had stopped struggling, yet, remained looking back where they came from.

"Kuchiki-san…"

Orihime's thin voice broke through Rukia's musings. The female shinigami blinked and looked at her pale friend. Orihime was smiling thinly, her eyes tired.

"Please, don't worry…"

She sounded _so tired_, so helplessly tired.

Even though she was visibly emotionally battered, traumatized and physically exhausted, saw many violent fights, her life always hanging by a thread, being constantly threatened… her pretty friend managed to gather her strength and _smile._

Rukia felt her eyes tear up.

_Inoue…_

She was moved by her strength. Maybe her friend was fragile, visibly frail, lacked physical, combat-wise strength, but there was _something_ about her that was _strong._ It was different from hers, from Ichigo, form Renji, from Chad, from Ishida. It was something worth protecting, something _special_. Maybe that's why everyone was adamant to rescue her. Maybe that's why _Ichigo _was adamant to save and protect her. When you see her, look at her, you _just _can't abandon her, fail her. Her presence…

_Damn it._ Rukia bit her lip and averted her gaze. _I'm the stronger person between us! I came here to help save her… I should be the one who comforts her!_ She clenched her small fist. _I should be the one who assures her that everything will be alright!_

Orihime's smile widened. "Kurosaki-kun… Renji-kun… They're going to be alright… I… I trust them."

"Inoue…"

"So, please, don't worry, Kuchiki-san…"

_What an unselfish human._

Rukia lifted her gaze, pulled on a determined face and nodded firmly. "You're right, Inoue." She swallowed the uncharacteristic lump in her throat and rubbed her fist over her eyes. "Don't worry, Inoue."

Orihime blinked slowly at her.

"Temporarily, while you wait for Ichigo, let me protect you"

She looked surprised, but her eyes softened and smiled at her. "Thank you, Kuchiki-san." Rukia nodded firmly and showed her a rare smile. _Don't worry, Inoue. _She looked at Ishida, gave a curt nod. The Quincy relinquished his hold and went ahead.

"Since we used Ichimaru's _Garganta, _I'm sure that this passageway leads to Karakura." Rukia said. "Inoue, stay with Sado." They reached the end of the tunnel. At once, Orihime, Chad and Ishida start falling. Ishida, being nearest to Rukia, was grabbed by the female shinigami. Immediately, the Quincy used his reiatsu to remain afloat. Instinctively, the Quincy grabbed Chad who was nearest to him. Unfortunately, Orihime slipped from Chad's grasp.

"…!"

"Inoue! Use your reiatsu!" Rukia shouted, however, Orihime continued to fall.

But not for long.

"Need help?"

Orihime opened her eyes and looked up to the person who caught her arm. The irises of her hazel eyes almost turned white in horror.

"Long time no see, isn't it, Inoue Orihime?"

Rukia, Chad and Ishida gaped in horrified shock.

"…why the sour face? Clouds overhead blot the sun. Why don't you smile and make the sun shine for us?"

Slowly, Orihime was being lifted to stand directly in front of her capturer. Rukia felt her whole body convulsed in crippling fear. _No… no… no… Inoue… Inoue…_ Chills and goosebumps covered her skin, as she stared wide-eyed. Her fist shook, causing Sode no Shirayuki to shake as well.

"…Please, smile. Your smile is specially needed right _now_." A finger pointed at something over her shoulder. Long orange-red hair rippling violently around her face, Orihime followed the finger. Her mouth parted in a gasp of shock. She felt her heart shrivel in despair and her body go numb.

"No… It… i-it can't be…" Her voice was so tiny, cracking.

Nearby, Ishida and Chad only stared in wild-eyed horror at something big, at something… so horrible, so heartbreakingly… horrible.

_Ichigo… Ichigo… Inoue… she's—_ Rukia thought in terror and despair, mentally trying to reach out to her friend.

:

…_come quickly, Ichigo!_


	4. to dare a sleeping anti god

"Rukia!"

Renji's voice boomed behind them as the two shinigami jumped out of the _Garganta_, which Ishida, Chad, Rukia and Orihime previously used. Behind them, the _Garganta_ closed. Both of them had cuts on their skins and dusts clinging to their robes. A gash was bleeding above Ichigo's eye. Renji was covered in dust. Ichigo shot straight to his friends, his forehead in a deep scowl, Renji behind him.

"Oi!"

Ichigo was ignored, however. Rukia, Ishida and Chad were stiff, like boards, staring at something. "Where's Inoue? Is she…!" Ichigo's voice trailed off, eyes widening in stunned disbelief at the utter display of destruction. "What the…hell…is this…?" his voice shook slightly, brown eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"What…"

His voice shook, as well as his body.

"… what _the hell happened?_"

:

Great ruins lay before them. Strangely, it was quiet. It was calm. No screams. No cries. There was nothing left. Only colorless ruins. The whole town was vaporized into nothing. Emptiness replaced Karakura. Maybe, even the sounds were vaporized.

Utter destruction in perfect circle.

Utter destruction in perfect excavation.

There were four white pillars. Two of them were still standing, albeit decrepit. Chunks of white stone were seized off its tops. The other two were in debris.

Utter destruction.

A blackened wasteland.

A soulless wasteland. A perfect round, soulless wasteland.

A black hole in earth.

**.**

**.**

"Kurosaki…" It was Ishida who had enough strength—emotionally, mentally— to speak. It was difficult, however, to mask the terrible tremor in his voice. Ishida turned his head around to face Kurosaki. The Quincy was uncharacteristically wide-eyed and paler than usual. Horror was evident. Horror… beyond imagination. "Karakura…" Ishida could not bring himself to continue.

The word left a bitter, painful aftertaste.

_Karakura…_

A blackened crater.

The brown irises of Ichigo's eyes were pale gold, bulging in horror. "…no… no…" Zangetsu shook, bandages billowed behind the shinigami.

Ishida dropped his gaze, pressing his teeth together.

"…it can't be… Karakura…"

"Ichigo…" murmured Rukia. "It's… g-gone." She swallowed painfully. "And… And… Inoue…" Ichigo spun his head around to look at the petite shinigami at _that _name. Rukia flinched at the look he gave her. It was dread mixed with fury and disappointment, agony. There was no frown or grimace. Only raw, _raw _emotions, wide-eyed disbelief and hard, clenching jaw. "She… she…" Rukia could not continue, knowing how much it will _hurt_ Ichigo. It was painful, it was _shamefully _painful.

She had failed him.

She had failed _her._

"I'm so—" Rukia's apology was cut off by another voice. A smooth, flat voice which concealed evil, malicious intent.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. You are late."

_That voice._

His head turned slowly— _very, very _slowly— to meet the owner of that voice.

What he saw first was _her._

"…Ku… Kuro… Kurosaki…kun…"

Her tearful, tired hazel eyes.

Her beautiful face.

:

"Inoue." Ichigo breathed edgily. He wanted to say something else, talk more, to reassure her, to comfort her. To tell her everything will be alright. He _will _make it alright. But how? _How?_ Karakura… Karakura, her town, his home, Ishida's, Chad's… where their friends were, their families… Karakura…

Ichigo felt a vice gripping his throat, lungs and heart, disabling him, crippling him.

_His family._

Vaguely, there was a flashback. Of his beautiful mother. Of a nine year old kid.

_His family…_

His fists shook.

How could he comfort someone when he was in deep pain as well?

Ichigo tried to block the images. An empty space. A black, _black _hole. His family… His friends… His… His jaw moved, molars grinding.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it—_

How… how… _did these happen?_

He failed. He _fucking _failed. Again. God, how many times should he fail before fate can _fucking _leave him alone? Was the lost of his mother not enough? _It _was enough. He lost the center of his universe. He lost his anchor. He changed because of the lost of _her._ He had accepted the _fucking _weight of fucking-save-the-world responsibility. He became a shinigami to protect his family, help people he _barely_ and didn't know. He grew a pair of horns to save someone. He became _something _to save someone.

Was everything of those _bullshits _not enough?

He didn't deserve this pain, this loss, this despair, and this horror.

Orihime was talking, her voice shook as though trying not to cry, to break, but _is _breaking now.

"I'm sorry… I'm so… sorry—"

:

"Please don't cry, Orihime. Your tears depress me."

Orihime bit her lower lip hard, tears blurring her vision. With one hand, she wiped her face shakily.

"Didn't I say that I will destroy Karakura Town?"

Ichigo lifted his chin. His eyes were blazing with cold hatred and badly concealed anguish.

"You didn't listen? No. You heard my announcement. You knew I'm going to destroy your town. But you _chose _her. You chose to rescue Inoue Orihime." Aizen placed a hand on Orihime's cold cheek. The girl shuddered at the cold touch, her eyes wide and filled with dread. "Smile, Orihime. Please let the sun shine for your friends who came to rescue you." He smiled, and Ichigo glowered, pale-brown eyes hard.

"Smile, Orihime. Smile for Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen can see the seething shinigami from the corner of his eye. "Don't break his heart by crying."

Instead, more tears filled her eyes but didn't fall, her lips trembling as she looked at her friends, at Ichigo.

"I've chosen the perfect bait, didn't I? The perfect distraction. For you, Kurosaki-san." Aizen continued, still touching Orihime's face, staring at her teary eyes. "I studied your character_._ That's why… I chose her." He dropped his hand from Orihime's cheek and turned his head to look at the group of Hueco Mundo invaders. "Of course… You're a hero, aren't you? Kurosaki Ichigo will never abandon his friends. Especially if it is Inoue Orihime. Who would have a conscience to abandon such a pretty, fragile princess? She's weak, she's frail. She cannot protect herself. She is very…" There was a meaningful pause, "…breakable."

Ishida didn't like the way Aizen said the last word.

"I am very impressed. Perfect. She had served her purpose well." Aizen smiled at Orihime and patted her head affectionately. "I knew you'd be useful, Orihime."

"… Inoue." Rukia murmured.

"Kurosaki Ichigo will come to your aid. _No matter what._ That is my conclusion. That made you a _perfect_ bait to lure him out, trap him, and distract him while I destroy Karakura. After all…" He smiled, and it was _cold._ "He'd do anything to save you."

He glanced at Ichigo from the corner of his eye as he said this. The boy kept his head bowed, hiding his expression.

"Isn't it correct, Kurosaki-san?"

Orihime's lips trembled.

"Please tell me," Aizen lifted his hand from Orihime's head, shoved it inside his pocket and turned his body to watch the main Hueco Mundo invader. "Do you regret it?"

Ichigo quickly lifted his chin, his hard eyes wide, brown irises almost pale-yellow. The skin between his eyebrows creased deeply. "…what did you say?" he hissed.

…_regret?_

His skin had broken into thin, cold sweat.

Aizen had smiled a little, amused smile. His expression was blank, his gaze cold, but there was something in those eyes. It looked like he knew something amusing that he would not tell.

And Ishida found it frustrating. Renji abhorred it.

"I'm asking you, Kurosaki-san. Do you regret saving Orihime?"

:

Rukia would always remember how Orihime had looked after Aizen asked that question.

Eyes dull, shoulders slouched forward, orange-red hair flooding her pale, small face. Her wide, _wide _hazel eyes were staring unblinkingly. But they didn't seem to see _anything. _She looked _so_ broken, looking _so _dead inside that standing straight was _painful_.

It was unforgettable.

**.**

**.**

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo hissed between clenched teeth.

"Your town is destroyed. It is gone. If only you were here to defend it, maybe… it would not have been destroyed like the way it was. Maybe you could have rescued your family before Karakura vaporized. You could have prevented the impending doom… if you didn't come to Hueco Mundo to save Inoue Orihime."

Beside Aizen, Orihime stared at Ichigo's face unblinkingly. The look in her face was… soft, tired, and broken.

"…Ichigo…" Rukia whispered. Ishida and Chad waited apprehensively, while Renji looked extremely uncomfortable. Ichigo had bowed his head again, his expression shadowed.

"You gained nothing. Your town is destroyed. I have Inoue Orihime."

Ishida clenched his fist, narrowing his eyes. Chad remained calm.

"Do you regret it?"

With immense difficulty, Orihime opened her mouth. At first, no words came out. She closed her mouth, swallowed painfully and struggled, _and struggled and struggled _to talk, to say something. Anything.

_I…I…_

Rukia read Orihime's mouth.

_I… I…_

The petite shinigami squeezed her eyes shut and trembled.

"I…" Rukia's eyes snapped open, hearing Orihime's small, broken voice. "I… I…" Rukia clenched her fist that her nails dug into her palm so painfully. _Inoue… Inoue, don't try so hard! Ino—_

"Give her back."

:

Rukia, Ishida, Chad and Renji turned their heads as one to stare at the orange-haired shinigami with wide eyes, filled with shock.

_Ichigo!_

"Give her back." The substitute repeated quietly.

Orihime's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, staring at Ichigo's bowed head. Beside her, Aizen waited patiently, calmly, blankly.

"You haven't answered my question."

Ichigo viciously lifted his chin and shouted, "_GIVE HER BACK_!" At the same time, wild-eyed, teeth barred, he swung Zangetsu forward, slicing the air ferociously, creating a massive air pressure that cut the air. Rukia, Ishida, Chad and Renji lifted their hands to shield their eyes as hot, painful air violently hit them, knocking them backwards.

_What the fuck—_ Renji thought, flabbergasted. _Just by swinging his goddamned sword, he created massive air pressure! You're fucking crazy, Ichigo!_

_Kurosaki!_ Ishida winced at the overwhelming spiritual pressure.

Nevertheless, Aizen looked unaffected at the furious, razor-sharp air pressure that whipped at him. Orihime gave a startled gasp, flinching back at the violence of Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Doesn't it bother you that your town is gone and the souls of 100,000 are now being manufactured to create Ouken?" he asked calmly.

Ichigo snarled, teeth still barred, "I'll make you pay for it, Aizen! I will _never_ forgive you!" Brown eyes flashed pale gold. There was this frighteningly intense and crazy, but oddly calm, look in his eyes. His orange hair brushed his forehead, shadowing his intense brown eyes. The teen lifted his free hand, palm up as if asking for something. "But I think _you_ have _something_ that belonged to _us._"

The hand turned palm down, curled into a fist, index finger sticking out, pointing.

Orihime blinked at the pointing finger.

All at once, Rukia dropped to her fighting stance at Ichigo's right. At Ichigo's other side, Ishida pulled back a blue arrow, preparing to shoot, while Chad powered up, right arm morphing. Beside Rukia, Renji sneered and released Zabimaru which swirled around the group.

Ichigo's frightening, flashing eyes narrowed; his scowl was dark and intense that it sent shivers down Orihime's spine.

"Give Inoue back and I'll kick your _fucking _ass afterwards."

:

Aizen smiled simply, "how incredible."

"Ya. Incredible."

Aizen and Ichigo glanced at the source of the new voice.

Recognizing the owner, Ichigo raised a brow. "…Hirako?" The leader of the Vizards grinned. "What the hell are you doing here?" Finally, Ichigo managed to notice his surroundings and take note the presence of other individuals. "All… of you!"

"Pfft. Baldy." Hiyori grumbled sourly who was sharing an enemy with Toshirou and Lisa. Mashiro waved a hand enthusiastically, wearing her Hollow mask, "Berry-tan!" Everyone else, both shinigamis and Vizards, had their own opponents, saved from select few who were injured (and Soutaichou who was watching quietly).

Casually, Shinji walked in air towards Ichigo, eyes on Aizen. "You're really pissing me off, Aizen."

Aizen calmly returned the stare.

Shinji grinned widely, waving a pale, thin hand. "Hi, Orihime-chan!" The girl just stared unblinkingly, unresponsive.

"Oi, Shinji! What are you doing here?" Ichigo's eyes briefly examined the bloody gash above Shinji's left eye. The blonde, grinning Vizard spared him a bored glance.

"That was a touchy speech." He said, referring to Ichigo's earlier outburst.

The scowl on Ichigo's forehead deepened, obviously not in the mood to tolerate his half-assed comments.

"As much as this pains me, your duty is to save the princess. That ambitious tosser—" he pointed at Aizen. "—is mine to crack his flippin' brain open. Why?" His lips curled sinisterly. "We got a history together. I'm not ta type of guy who'll simply move on."

Renji butted in, "why are you helping us? You're—"

Shinji snorted, making a face. "Are ya stupid or somethin'?" He deadpanned. "We are not helping ya. We're not your stray dogs, shinigami." He grinned toothily at Ichigo. "We are Ichigo's allies."

Brown eyes widened.

"Plus," Shinji ogled at Orihime. "You touched my first love, Aizen. That's a huge piss off." Ichigo opened his mouth to say something. But Shinji beat him to it, one hand inside his pocket, his posture easy and apathetic as he held his zanpakuto with his other hand. "Here's a plan, dumbass. You get my first love. I get the dog." Shinji's face cracked into large, lipless grin as he gave the ex-captain a rude middle finger. "Sounds good?"

Ichigo looked back to Aizen. He lifted Zangetsu above his hips. He glanced at Orihime discreetly. His eyes narrowed, his lips pressing hard together.

A rip appeared beside Aizen. The group tensed.

"Gin."

The gangly ex-captain broke through the rip. "I apologized, Aizen-sama. I was delayed. Oh." He turned his mocking grin to Orihime. "Your property made _its_ way back to you."

Ichigo flinched, and seethed. "Inoue's _not_ an object, you bastard!"

Aizen smirked. "But she belongs to me."

"_SHUT UP!"_

Shinji watched the boy with guarded, lazy gaze.

"Inoue… She's… she's…" He was, obviously, struggling. He sighed deeply, tightly. With difficulty, Ichigo strained to smile, trying to comfort her— _and maybe… he was trying— also trying… _to comfort himself. "Don't worry, Inoue. I'll save you, okay?"

Her expression didn't change.

But his eyes hardened.

"…no matter how many times I have to do it, I _will_ definitely save you!"

Something flickered in those large, sad eyes. Her lashes, long and thick, lowered, and her eyes opened slowly— _hiding, not wanting to see anything, everything— _and when her lashes finally lifted, revealing those tired eyes, Ichigo wanted to capture that look, that tired, _tired _look. The timing was inappropriate, but it was that moment that he realized: _she is unbelievably beautiful. _

She opened her mouth, but like before, no words came out. But Ichigo understood. "Don't apologize."

_I won't… I won't lose another person._

His eyes hardened.

_I won't lose you._

His grip tightened, bending his knees to propel himself forward.

_I won't lose you… _

And he charged forward.

_Inoue!_

:

But Gin blocked him.

"You…!" Ichigo gritted his teeth. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"My bad." Gin said.

Shinji rushed past the two soul reapers. Tousen moved to interfere. A chain wrapped around his zanpakuto, however, tugging him back. "Yo, captain." Hisagi said calmly. Tousen glowered. "We're done yet, aren't we?"

Meanwhile, Shinji managed to get closer to Aizen without interruption. He lifted his katana above his head, his face in a crazed sneer.

"…Aizen!"

A smile.

Shinji blinked. _Huh?_

To Shinji's horror, Aizen grabbed Inoue's arm and yanked hard, placing the girl between himself and Shinji, using Orihime as a human shield. Shinji's eyes widened, staring down into the girl's wide eyes, filling her face with horrified surprise.

Behind Shinji, Ichigo's heart tightened painfully. He shouted in panic, seeing the horrible scene before Shinji. "Hirako, _stop_!"

_Damn it!_

Shinji managed to halt his attack, a few fingerbreadths above Orihime's face. The violent force behind the zanpakuto hurt and strained his arms. Shinji winced and gritted his teeth. _Fuck ya, fucking asshole!_ His eyes widened, _the fuck…_ Aizen had pushed a hand through Orihime's thick hair that waved above her shoulder, his index finger poking out. The tip of Aizen's pointer softly touched Shinji's shirt, just below his right collarbone. Realizing the intent, but got no time to dodge, Shinji just sneered.

_Damn…_

"Hado. Level 4. Byakurai."

There was a flash of pale blue lightning.

:

"HIRAKO!" Ichigo yelled, gritting his teeth as he pushed against Gin's zanpakuto. "OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Shit!" Renji pulled back Zabimaru. "Howl, Zabimaru!"

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

"El Directo."

"Licht Regen!"

Gin dodged easily, leaping sideward to avoid Zabimaru, flash-stepping to dodge the pillar of ice, one thousand arrows and a huge blast of spiritual energy. This gave Ichigo an opening to rush past the grinning ex-captain to aid Shinji.

"Whoa!" Gin grinned at the direction of the four attackers.

Renji grinned back. "Sorry, taichou!" From beside the redhead fukutaichou, Rukia smirked smugly, despite her exhaustion and worry.

"Apology accepted, Abarai-san."

Ishida prepared another arrow. Chad powered up again.

"Oh no. Do you think this is a little unfair?"

Renji's grin widened wolfishly. "Unfair? Since when did the world become fair? _HOWL, ZABIMARU_!"

:

Ichigo caught up with Shinji. "Oi, Hirako! Are you alive?"

"Shaddup your whinin', idiot. I'm breathin' still!" snapped Shinji. "Tch. That cheatin' ass… using Orihime-chan… fuck, good thin' I stopped or else…" Ichigo felt his blood run cold at the thought. He spun around to Aizen.

"You shit… Leave Inoue out of this! She's not an object!" Ichigo yelled angrily. "She's done her purpose, you said it yourself! So fucking leave her alone already!"

Aizen smiled over Orihime's shoulder. "But she's mine to use. Didn't you just swear allegiance to me, Orihime? You swore that your powers and your body belong to me and for me to use as I see fit."

Orihime didn't blink. Her skin was pale, almost white. The constant fear and exhaustion in her eyes was taking a toll on Ichigo. She needed to rest. She needed to be saved _now._ She had been emotionally and physically battered _too_ much. It was enough. She had had enough.

When he clenched his fist, veins and tendons popped out and throbbed. His eyes hardened with resolve. He willed himself to look straight into her soulful eyes, comforting _himself, _telling himself, _convincing _himself that he _can _make everything alright. He _will _make everything alright.

She just had to…

"Inoue…" He spoke her name, but that didn't seem to comfort her. "Please, trust me. Just wait. Okay? Just hang in there."

Her beautiful, tired eyes didn't blink as she met his intense gaze.

"Just trust me. Trust me, Inoue." Ichigo wet his dry lips and swallowed to moisten his dry throat. "Don't worry."

"Kurosaki-san is right. Don't worry, Orihime."

Aizen's familiarity was _pissing him off._ Ichigo snarled, "Don't talk to her! And get your hands off _her!_"

"Why am I not allowed to talk to her? I am merely trying to comfort her. She's very scared… She can't even talk due to her fear."

"Shut the fuck up! Get your hands off Inoue!"

"You're awfully impolite."

"Get _your hands off her!_"

"You'll have to cut of my arms, then." To spite the shinigami, Aizen squeezed the flesh on Orihime's shoulder. Ichigo visibly seethed, more veins popping out of his neck, hands and forehead. His lip curled back in fury.

"I _will _rip your arms off, Aizen!" Ichigo snarled venomously. Aizen didn't respond, keeping quiet. Ichigo prepared to rush forward but Aizen interrupted him.

"I think you're right, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo paused halfway his flash step.

"I should give her back to you. I had her kidnapped and took her away from her friends. I made her sad, didn't I?"

Ichigo glowered darkly, distrustful.

"But I need her."

:

Both redheads were stunned.

"Unlike Kurosaki Ichigo, I, Orihime, need you."

Hazel eyes shifted to the side where Aizen stood.

"I need you, Orihime. I have faith in your abilities. Without you, my plans will not be able to move forward."

Ichigo watched, wide-eyed.

"I want you to fight alongside with me."

"…!"

Aizen continued smilingly. "Isn't it nice to feel needed, Orihime? Instead of being cast aside by your friends, I want you to fight beside me. I want you to stand beside me." Aizen moved his face closer to her, his mouth above her ear. His eyes glinted as the orange-haired boy gritted his teeth, those pale brown eyes glinting pale yellow in spite. "To me, you are not a burden. To me, you are important." As he talked, he was looking straight into Ichigo's cold, hard eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about? Inoue, don't listen to him! You are—"

Aizen deadpanned. "It's almost done."

The two teens looked up. Ichigo's eyes remained narrowed as he studied the simple, round globe of white and blue material. _…is that…_

"The Ouken." Aizen said conversationally. "It's a mass made of spirits I acquired from Karakura Town. It's unstable at first, however, as time progressed, it will stabilize and will transform into a tri-pronged golden key." He returned his gaze to Orihime who remained unresponsive. "Let's go, Orihime."

"What the hell? She's not going anywhere with _you!_" Ichigo moved forward, raising his sword. He drew closer, wind pushing past him, gritting his teeth. Aizen didn't move, however. He didn't unsheathe his sword, change stance or show any intention of moving or blocking his incoming attack.

_What the hell is he thinking! _

He wanted to scrub the smirk off that _fucking _asshole face— _wait! _Why wasn't Aizen moving? His steps faltered. _This… shithead… wh—_

The cold, lazy stare met his intense, pale-brown scowl.

"I suggest you stop as soon as you can, Kurosaki-san. I don't want _you _to hurt Orihime."

Ichigo did what he was told, digging his heels in the air, gritting his teeth in pain as his body throbbed at the sudden change in momentum. He managed to halt and change his direction. "You bastard… Fight me! Leave Inoue alone and _fucking fight me!_"

"I don't have time for you."

"_Fight me!_" Ichigo shouted angrily.

Aizen smirked, eyes hooded.

"Shoot to kill."

:

The words jerked Orihime out of her horrified stupor. She gasped sharply. "K… Ku… Ku—" she began hoarsely, eyes wide in horror.

"Shinsho."

Ichigo had no time to dodge. From behind him, a shining zanpakuto pierced him, going through his body. It went through his chest, below his collarbone.

Orihime's eyes bulged as she screamed. "_KUROSAKI-KUN!"_

It was the very first _word _she had spoken.

And it was heartbreaking.

The kinetic force behind the extending sword was tremendous, throwing Ichigo forward and collapsing to his knees. Blood exploded from the open wound, spilling forward, staining the front of his kimono top. Ichigo coughed out blood, his body shaking at the impact. Shinsho, Gin's zanpakuto, shortened back to its original length. Shinji cursed under his breath, seeing the younger man bleeding profusely. Ichigo lifted a hand to press his palm on the wound to stem the flow of blood. Shinji drew nearer the shinigami and saw the wide-eyed surprise on Ichigo's face.

"That's bloody messy, Ichigo." Shinji remarked offhandedly. The younger Vizard panted harshly, blood seeping through his fingers.

"I'm sorry, Aizen-sama. I was, again, delayed."

Aizen glanced at Gin. "Open the gate."

"As you wish."

Beside Aizen, Orihime was whispering his name in her broken, hoarse voice. "Kurosaki-kun… Kurosaki-kun…"

"Oh. How nice of you to let us hear your voice again, Orihime."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

Rukia, Ishida, Renji and Chad, who were all defeated by Gin, looked up to the sliding doors that lead to Soul Society. "They… they—" murmured Rukia weakly, clutching her stomach.

"Shit…" Renji muttered, a trickle of blood running down his chin.

"They're taking Inoue-san… to Soul Society? But why?" Ishida exclaimed.

Rukia narrowed her eyes, _damn… Inoue!_

"Please say your goodbye and smile."

Ichigo looked up to Aizen and Orihime, clutching his bloody wound. "Inoue…" His gaze had become blurry. Who knew a skinny, gangly guy can shoot his sword with such frightening force? Ichigo blinked repeatedly, adjusting his vision. He whispered her name again.

_Damn it… Damn it…_

"Inoue…" He growled through his teeth. "Don't… _go_—" Pale brown eyes widened behind orange locks, watching Aizen grabbed the girl's arm to drag her towards the opening passageway. Orihime kept looking back to him, reaching out to him with her soulful eyes. Her form was blurry, but oddly, he can see her eyes. He can hear her voice. He can feel… _oh so _feel her warm reiatsu.

Black pigment slowly engulfed the whites of his eyes. "Shit… shit… _shit…_!" He barred his teeth, clenched his fist. The power was overflowing, leaking out of his body. Shinji was watching the orange-haired Vizard writhed as reitsu of massive amount leaked out of that body.

_Oh no… this ain't nicey-nicey._ The reiatsu leaking out of Ichigo's body was dense, a crushing energy that will send weaker shinigamis to their knees.

Ichigo threw back his head and let out a piercing, animal shout.

"GODDAMN IT!"

Reiatsu burst out in visible streaks of black.

"I… I… _Inoue…" _Ichigo gripped at his hair on his forehead and with another roar that created another air pressure, Ichigo _ripped _out his Vizard mask—

"NO!"

Ichigo's whole body froze. The formation of his Hollow mask stopped as well.

"_Don't! Kurosaki-kun, stop!_"

Hand still on his face, head bowed to hide his mask which was half-complete, Ichigo waited.

"Stop… stop… You… you don't have to… Please, please— you… you… _just… just—"_ Orihime's words were tangled, "You… don't have to become… someone… don't… don't— _don't get hurt_ anymore… don't _save…_ me— anymore—"

"Inoue…" Ichigo whispered, looking up to her, one hand on his face where his mask was formed. Tears were sliding down her cheeks as she looked down into his eyes with her unblinking large eyes.

Gin leisurely stepped in between Aizen and Orihime, and Ichigo. His grin was still present. Behind this gangly pale-haired, Aizen continued to pull her towards the sliding doors. Ichigo barred his teeth, gritting them. He felt his mask crawl across his face. Tightly, he squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his fist first, and then ripped the mask off with a curse. The mask crumbled into pieces. Shakily, he straightened his knees, shoulders slumped forward.

"Give her back." Ichigo said quietly while he raised Zangetsu. It was painful, it was difficult. The pain was excruciating and the blood heavily spilled over his robe. But he continued to lift Zangetsu. _"Give her back!"_

Shinji rolled his eyes. "…show off." He grumbled sourly, eyes half-lidded.

:

Above her friends, near the doors, Orihime watched. _Kurosaki-kun… Kurosaki-kun… Stop fighting… stop—_

"Let's go."

She didn't resist, still looking at Ichigo. Her gaze was unwavering. And her next words interest Aizen.

"I… I can't forgive you…" Her voice was small, but this time, the words were clearer. "You… destroyed my home… our home…"

"I'm sorry, Orihime. But sacrifices are necessary to achieve a goal." Aizen replied calmly, gently escorting her to the sliding doors that will lead them to Soul Society.

"I… I can't… Kurosaki-kun… my friends… Because of you… my friends… my home… everyone keeps fighting… everyone… getting hurt…"

Her gray eyes watched as Ichigo fought with Gin.

"…I can't—"

"_GET OUT OF MY WAY!_"

There was so much blood.

So much despair.

Pain. Blood. Fighting. Fighting. _Fighting._

Desperation.

She exhaled through her nose.

The usual vibrant hazel eyes dimmed, turning pale, blank. Long lashes lowered, creating shadows across her pale cheeks.

:

Her mouth opened slowly.

:

"I will never forgive you."

:

Rukia's eyes widened. _…this reiatsu? _She lifted her chin. Another reiatsu was rising dangerously. The other soul reapers, Vizards, and humans noticed it as well, looking around for the source.

"…this is…" Ishida started.

"…I-Inoue!" Rukia murmured. "What are you—"

:

"…_TSUBAKI_!"

* * *

**note. **i can't remember how Ichigo address Shinji. but i did my homework and (this is the part where i wish i can use emoticons) it was _hard_. –dead- for a person like meeee it was _hard!_ my source: chapter 236, page 06. please correct me if i'm wrong. XD and… wow… Vampyre Heartbreak-samaaaa XD XD! and of course, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND FOR YOUR TIME AND REVIEWS! A gazillion thank you's! take care XD

**standard disclaimer applied.**


	5. to recall their smiling halcyon days

It was a streak of gold light.

No.

It was a _wall _of gold light that exploded from Orihime. It moved so fast that Shinji, Ichigo and others missed it. For seconds earlier, it was just a line of light. And then, _a second _later, it flickered, exploded and became a thin wall of gold light with a size of five feet tall and ten feet wide. The wall went up between her and Aizen in a speed unseen by naked eye. The watchers blinked— _they missed it._ Now more solid, _it_ boomeranged upwards and disappeared.

A split second later, there was a burst of red.

…_blood?_

The onlookers wondered uneasily, wide-eyed.

In closer inspection, Aizen's eyes had opened wider than what was usual. The same red-_something _hit his face and the front of his white clothes. The liquid rolled down from his cheek to his well-defined jaw.

:

The silence that followed her scream took _only _a second to reign. But for Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, Chad and Renji, it felt like time and space stilled.

Then, his shout pierced the silence.

:

If her eyes were made of glass, one can see the reflection of _that _frighteningly slow roll of red liquid in her eyes.

…

…

Indeed.

It was blood.

:

"_Inoue!_"

The silence was broken. Sounds and movement returned.

The girl was knocked backwards, probably from the abrupt explosion of reiatsu from her hairpin. Blood stained her cheeks and dress. Again, for a second, or _seconds_— she floated there, weightless, looking _so _beautiful, with large, haunting tired eyes, luscious hair drifting around her face, tumbling down her shoulders, like a halo.

Nearby, Rukia, Renji, Ishida and Chad gaped in shock.

"What the fuck…!" exclaimed Renji, wide-eyed.

Ichigo's eyes widened at the sight. "What the…"

"Holy freakin' shit." Shinji muttered, disbelief across his face. "She… _she_… _cut off his arm!_"

:

Aizen looked down to his amputated arm. It was cut off above his elbow. The pain hadn't registered yet. It was a clean cut. The stump was bloody, spattering blood all over his hakama.

"Aizen-sama!" He vaguely heard Tousen yell. His half-lidded eyes lifted and met a pair of startled, wide eyes. Few blots of blood spotted her pale cheeks.

"Orihime."

The girl visibly recoiled, time returned, gravity hit and she fell.

:

Orange-red hair blew up as Orihime fell. Her wide eyes remained looking up to Aizen.

"Oi, woman! What the hell are you doing? _Do something!_" It was Tsubaki. He was flying down, matching the speed of gravity._ "DO SOMETHING!_"

She blinked once.

And her triangular shield materialized under her without incantation. The shield caught her and she bounced lightly. Hair stumbled down around her face and shoulders. However, she remained looking up to Aizen whose stump kept bleeding profusely, making a small, thin waterfall of blood. Tsubaki hovered in front of her face.

He frowned at her blank eyes, "what the hell is wrong with you? _Snap out of it!_" The girl didn't move. "_Oi! Woman!_" He watched her lift her hands to her hair, clutching at the fine orange strands, balling her hands into fists. She started to mumble under her breath.

"Stop… stop… just stop…"

"Oi, woman!" Tsubaki yelled, masking his worry. "Snap out of it!"

"Stop… stop…"

Tsubaki shuddered suddenly, his knees shaking. _What the hell is this… energy? _It was so abrupt, this crushing pressure. He winced, a headache coming on. And a second later, he realized: _she _was the _one _giving him _the_ headache. "Crap… what's wrong, woman? Stop it…!" The headache worsened. He grabbed at his head, bending over as the pain increased. "_Shit!_"

Her power… was—

"Stop… stop… I…"

Tsubaki writhed in pain. "Woman… stop! _Control your damned_—"

Orihime whispered expressionlessly.

"_I_…_reject_."

:

There was a moment of loud silence.

Tsubaki let out a roar that pierced the silence, and flew around like a crazed boomerang.

:

"Inoue!" Rukia shakily stood up. She watched her friend clutched at her head, her powers or her reiatsu— neither, either… Rukia didn't know anymore— were skyrocketing crazily. The yellow _thing_ that haphazardly flew about was _fast_. It even attacked Ichigo and Shinji. _What… is this? Inoue…? But this power… I didn't know she—_ The reiatsu thickened, a crushing feeling enveloped Rukia and she, exhausted and wounded, fell to her knees.

"Shit!" Ichigo leaped back and raised his sword to deflect the rampaging Tsubaki. The _defense _flower power-incarnate bounced off Zangetsu and zoomed across the sky. Ichigo scanned the space and found _her._

_Inoue!_ He began to rush to her. The reiatsu that surrounded her was _thick_.

"Inoue!"

She was clutching her hair, head bowed. Her long orange-red hair was all over her face and shoulders. Despite the alarming situation, he could not help but noticed that her hair… was really long. And they looked like locks of tangible rays of a sunset.

His eyes snapped to the side. _What the—_ Gin and Tousen were lifting their soul-cutters in the air as they prepared to hack at the girl's trembling from. "Inoue!" Ichigo yelled in alarm. His panicked shout seemed to catch the berserking _flower's _attention_. _It swerved— Ichigo noticed that her attacking power had taken a form of a half-moon, like his _Getsuga Tensho._ However, the difference was, it took a more solid shape, unlike his. Tsubaki rocketed, cutting air. Gin and Tousen scattered and flipped to avoid him. Tsubaki flew upwards again, and then plummeted, accompanied by _whrrrrr _sound.

Ichigo ground his molars and flew closer to Orihime. Tsubaki, however, seemed to have trouble recognizing enemies from allies as he made a sharp, sudden swerve, grew _larger_ and sharper as he came racing towards Ichigo.

The orange-haired shinigami didn't stop, however. _She _was closer now. All he had to do was to reach out and _go faster._

"Ichigo!" he heard Shinji yell. "Stop! Retard! You'll get diced!"

_No._

Tsubaki was closer now, larger, a spinning blade. And as large as _Gestsuga Tensho._

"Inoue!"

She didn't listen.

He became desperate.

"_Look at me!_"

:

Abruptly, Tsubaki stopped. He was… a hair away from decapitating Ichigo.

"S-shit…" Ichigo heard the _flower_ cursed. The teen remained immobile, afraid that a single movement of his Adam's apple will provoke the suspended thin wall of gold light into slicing off his head. His intense brown eyes moved to the side, to the direction where Orihime was. She had stopped shaking, and slowly, her head was lifting, although her hands remained latching on her thick hair.

Her eyes were wide, filling her pretty face.

Ichigo watched her lips open, muttering her incantation.

"I reject."

:

And before their stunned gazes, Tsubaki zoomed backwards away from Ichigo's neck, glowed bright gold, swelled as though absorbing energy then propelled upwards, and stunning onlookers, he—

Shinji watched Aizen's expression. Finally. _An emotion on that fucked up asshole!_

—destroyed the Ouken.

:

The blast that accompanied the destruction of the unstable mass of spirits was strong. There was a shockwave that knocked several soul reapers, Vizards and Arrancars backward. Orihime kept looking up, her hair whipping violently around her as the shockwave hit her, hair whipping around.

"Inoue!" Ichigo yelled. "Damn it!" He raised his arm to shield his eyes as the wind almost knocked him out. He yelled her name again and amidst the tangling winds, the chaos, the pulls, the push, the gravity—

He saw her.

:

Soul Society's shinigamis, Vizards, traitors (except from Gin and Aizen) and Arrancars alike gawked in astonishment.

"What the…" Toshiro could _only _gape in surprise. Inoue Orihime… easily destroyed the Ouken…? How was that possible? She lacked resolve in _destroying…_ But maybe, _maybe_, he thought, _she had had enough._ Humans had limits, too. She was kind, pure, and hopeful. But she, too, _hurt._ Toshiro believed she was one of the _most _hurt here. Physically, she was not.

But, he believed, there were lots of ways to _hurt _and break a person's heart.

Maybe, it wasn't resolve that helped her destroy Ouken.

Maybe… it was her pain.

:

_I just want everything to stop._

_I don't want him to become something just to save me._

_I don't want to be saved._

Tosen appeared above her, Suzumushi drawn. Likewise, Gin's Shinsho was unsheathed.

_I will… save myself. That way… no one has to get hurt._

_Kurosaki-kun… _

Orihime's eyes looked somber as she looked up to the two soul reapers.

_I will…_

From the distance, Halibel blurred. Lisa's eyes narrowed. _Where did she— …!_ Her head spun around, her braids swirled behind her.

"Hey!" Hiyori yelled. "Where the hell are you—" the Vizard paused, sensing a familiar reiatsu. In front of the dark-skinned Arrancar, another beautiful chocolate-skinned woman with dark-violet hair appeared, a serious look in her eyes, eyebrows straight, lips in straight line.

…_that woman!_ Hiyori thought, recognizing the speed. _That means—_

:

"Sing, Benihime."

A red dense energy blast cut the air, forcing Gin and Tosen to dodge, spiraling in the air.

"Ack! Urahara!" Hiyori yelled.

Yoruichi, using shunpo, disappeared in front of Halibel. The Arrancar was surprised— _where— _her eyes widened, sensing the presence behind her. Mercilessly, Yoruichi delivered a roundhouse kick, which Halibel deflected with her arm. However, the force behind the kick was exceptionally strong that it sent the Arrancar flying backwards, away from Orihime.

Both exiled shinigami captains blurred and reappeared, Yoruichi behind Orihime, Kisuke in front of her.

"Yohoo~" the geta-boshi greeted, a hand on top of his bucket hat. His beautiful zanpakuto was drawn to the side, in front of Orihime. "Long time no see everyone."

Ichigo blinked. "Geta boshi…"

Kisuke glanced behind him, catching Orihime's startled gaze. "…Ah, mission accomplished, I see." He grinned good-naturedly. "…you rescued the princess from her tower. Good job!" Kisuke looked up to meet Aizen's emotionless stare. The newcomer offered no words, merely watching.

Yoruichi approached Orihime, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Inoue, Let's go."

"Yoruichi-san…"

The woman nodded sagely. "Relax yourself." She held the girl's arm and slowly lifted her to her feet. Yoruichi's golden eyes narrowed. _She's shaking._ "Inoue, I said, relax yourself."

Orihime swallowed shakily, and smiled which didn't reach her eyes. "H-hai…" But her shaking didn't stop. She let the older woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Wait, Yoruichi-san!"

Yoruichi looked over her shoulder to Ichigo's frowning face. Her eyelids lowered. "Same to you, Ichigo. Relax yourself." Instead of heeding the advice, the frown only deepened. Orihime chose the moment to glance at him.

Their eyes met.

Yoruichi, who was examining the youngster's expression, didn't comment as a _look _crossed Ichigo's scowling face.

_Hmm._

"Inoue…"

"Concentrate on your battle, Ichigo." Yoruichi spoke, turning Orihime away, breaking the connection between the two. Then, to Orihime, "Don't let go, Inoue." In a blink of an eye, the two women were gone, as well as the golden shield.

Ichigo frowned deeply, visualizing her face, the look in her eyes. He scanned for her presence. Yoruichi had placed her atop of a crumbled pillar. He deduced that the woman had ordered the girl to surround herself with her shield, noting the yellow triangular light. Yoruichi patted the girl's head once, flash stepped, was gone and reappeared, an arm length away from Urahara.

Ichigo pressed his teeth together and closed his eyes, seeing auburn hair and tired, hazel eyes. He saw her, small, scared, vulnerable. He remembered how her lashes brushed her cheeks as she blinked— her smile as tears slid down her cheeks. He remembered her small hands— how they feel on his, the warmth, _her _warmth.

He remembered the look in her face when Aizen asked him if he regretted saving her— her tired, _tired _eyes that spoke, that apologized, and the way her luscious hair moved around her face.

He remembered the way she looked as he told her he'd save her no matter how many times it would take.

That beautiful, _beautiful_ tired look.

:

Above the destroyed Karakura town, Shinji leisurely approached Aizen. He had looked and had caught the unreadable, _but _– dare he say- poignant look that flitted over Ichigo's features. It was only a second, replaced abruptly by his customary scowl. Shinji didn't understand the _look, _and yet, he wondered, _what brought that about?_

Nearby, Tosen was engaged into a fight against his former lieutenant Hisagi and Komamura-taichou. Gin was facing Kisuke calmly, grinning, unreadable as ever. The Arrancars had continued their own fights, matching the skills of their enemies perfectly.

"Sad, isn't it, Aizen?" Shinji drawled smoothly, looking at Aizen, ignoring the blood on his face and shirt.

Shinji idly buffed his fingernails on his shirt.

"You're right, ya know. I didn't open my heart to you. And that's why I didn't notice the illusions you placed around me. I put up a barrier around me and more importantly, between us. Why?"

There was no change in Aizen's expression.

Their eyes met coldly.

Shinji grinned humorlessly. "Because I don't like you. It's simple as that."

He smoothed down his tie.

"But I underestimated your ambitiousness. Your hunger for power. Your illusions of grandeur. That's my mistake. To underestimate such ambitious ass…" Shinji wagged a finger. "You seriously need some beating."

"Do you think that losing an arm will bother me?"

Shinji grinned. "Nah. You're _too _ambitious to die. I think, even if I break both of your legs and cut off your remaining arm, you'd still fuckin' survive. You're a fuckin' leech, clingin' to life like some fucked up microorganism." He turned to Ichigo, grinning a lipless sneer. "So, let's rock?"

:

"Oi, woman! What's with that pathetic face?" Tsubaki demanded, wanting to pull a strand of orange hair, but resisted.

He twitched when the girl didn't respond.

"I'm talking to you! Are you dying or what?" Tsubaki waited. Still, there was no response. Veins pounded on his little head. He was ticked off, _more _ticked off than normal. "_Woman!_" He shouted, ready to fling himself headfirst and slam on her face. However, he stopped halfway when the girl dispersed the triangular shield, exposing herself to danger.

"WHAT THE HELL! First, you _ignored _me— which is a criminal offense! And then… _where is your shield, woman?_"

His rant was interrupted when she spoke softly.

"Tsubaki-kun."

He blinked, bewildered at her tone.

"I'm sorry."

His eyes bugged. "What the hell is your problem? Don't apologize just because you felt like doing it!"

Orihime bit her lower lip, and smiled. And it was such a pretty, but very sad smile, Tsubaki decided. "But I am _really _sorry."

Tsubaki crossed his arms, looking down at her. "What for? Honestly, your weirdness is pissing me off!"

Her thick lashes lowered to shield her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to wield you. I'm sorry because I've already told myself that I should get stronger, that I will not rely to Kurosaki-kun anymore… but, look at me. I… I… I rely on Kurosaki-kun too much to save me… and because of that… Karakura…" Her voice cracked at this point. "T-Tatsuki-chan… my friends, his family… Because he came to save me…"

Tsubaki watched her clench her small fists.

"That's why I'm sorry, Tsubaki-kun. Not only to you, but… to everyone. I am granted with this power… but still, I can't do anything. What is wrong with me? Why me? Why are _you _given to me? Why am I chosen?"

She looked up to the sky, to where she can see her friends.

"I want to be as strong as Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun, Renji-kun, Sado-kun… Kurosaki-kun. I want to be able to fight _like _them. Maybe that way… they would not have to protect and save me all the time. Maybe that way… I would be respected. I would be accepted. But… how can I fight like them?"

Tsubaki shook his head, sighing.

"…idiot."

Orihime's eyes widened.

"Listen up." He flew closer, pinched her cheek and pulled hard until the girl whimpered a "_ow…"_ and released the skin abruptly.

Orihime tearfully rubbed her cheek, her eyes big.

"There are things that _only _you can do, and there are things that _only _those morons can do. You have your own strength. They have theirs. Kicking ass is not the _only _way to gain someone's respect and acceptance! Only bimbos who don't understand what a _real _strength is are the people who shamelessly trash other people's character!" He pointed a finger to her. "You're _just _too kind, _too _hopeful— that makes you weak! And goddamned annoying! But that's _fake _weakness! They don't understand your strength," he jabbed a thumb on his chest, "but _I do!_ That's why I fight with you!"

"…Tsubaki-kun."

"I will protect that _strength_ and fight with it, woman! If your resolve is _to protect _than to kick ass, brandish a sword and holler like a monkey on drugs— then so be it! I don't care _how_ you fight! What I want is… you_ want_ to fight!"

He scoffed haughtily.

"You're loud, you're annoying, you're weird, ditz, airhead, crybaby, annoying— oh, I mention it already!— _too _happy, too _noisy!_ But I respect you!"

Orihime beamed at him.

Tsubaki felt his face warm. "DON'T SMILE AT ME LIKE THAT!"

She blinked. "Why?"

He snorted, ignoring her inquiry. "So, don't be stupid to apologize for something stupid! Do you hear me!"

She flinched back at the volume of his voice. "Okay…"

Tsubaki glared at her and snorted, turning his face away. "So, what now?"

Orihime took time to answer, weighing her next words.

"I want to do something." She wet her lips. Tsubaki glanced at her. She was looking down to her palms with a small frown. "I don't know if this will work but… I've got to try, right? I've never… I've never tried this before… Something so big…" She lifted her gaze to meet Tsubaki's sharp appraisal.

The male fairy started to scowl deeply.

"I'm scared." The corner of her lips quirked upward awkwardly. Nevertheless, it was still a pretty smile. "But I've got to do it. I _want_ to do it."

Tsubaki stared at her intently. And then, he scoffed. "Just don't blow yourself up."

"I'll try." She giggled.

"Idiot!"

Orihime smiled serenely, a dimple appearing on her left cheek. The glow of her eyes was back, and it made the simple, nervous smile prettier. It was the first smile she had had for real after what she'd heard from Aizen. "I really like Tsubaki-kun."

Again, he felt his face redden. "I-idiot! I d-don't like you!"

She smiled.

"I told you! _Don't smile at me like that!_" He proceeded into pulling her hair, resulting in small 'ow! ow! ow!' sounds. "Remember, don't blow yourself up! You've got to mean it! Really, really mean it, do you understand? I repeat, _don't blow yourself up!_"

Wincing, she replied. "Don't worry, Tsubaki-kun."

Again, he reddened. "I'M NOT WORRIED!"

"Um, sorry."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE!"

Orihime smiled sheepishly. "Um… okay."

Slowly, clumsily, she stood up. Her hair fell around her shoulders gracefully, some strands rebelliously flying across her face. Tsubaki hovered beside her face, scowling. She looked over the black crater, and Tsubaki caught the remorse and grief that flashed across her face. Silently, for a moment, she stood there against the wind, her auburn hair drowning her face. Tsubaki waited patiently. Orihime took a deep breath, thrust her right hand forward, wrapped her other hand around her right wrist and wet her lips.

"I have to work hard. Everyone is working hard. Kurosaki-kun… he's working hard to protect and fight for his friends."

Her teeth dug onto her lower lip hard.

Her lashes lowered and lids closed. "Onii-chan…" She started softly, so softly. "Please, give me strength. Give me resolve."

Tsubaki's scowl softened into a thoughtful frown as feelings of deep sadness, fatigue, hope, and calmness washed over him, and he knew those feelings were coming from his princess.

_Orihime._

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

_Oniichan!_

She remembered her brother's smiling face, the times they spent together. His warmth. His hands on her hair. The hairpins he gave her. The snow bunnies every winter. His comforting presence.

_Oniichan…_

Amazingly, remembering her brother comforted her. They had so many beautiful memories together in Karakura. Not only with her beloved brother, but also with her friends.

"… I just want my friends to be safe. Kurosaki-kun… I… I…" She bit her lip hard, suppressing her emotions. "I… don't want them to get hurt anymore."

The silence that followed felt like a wind. Calm, soft, and beautiful.

Tsubaki smirked smugly as he saw the princess smile serenely.

_Go, princess._

When Orihime opened her eyes, they were clear and _smiling._

_Arigato… Nii-chan._

"I…"

She inhaled and exhaled.

In a clear, solid voice, she said…

:

Slowly, _very slowly— _like a rising sun, a gigantic, golden spherical dome rose atop the crater. It enveloped the emptiness. The brightness was overwhelming, but not blinding. The light was transparent yellow. Soul reapers, Vizards, Arrancars turned to stare at the rising sun.

Rukia was bug-eyed. "…this warmth," she murmured in awe. It was calming. Ichigo's eyes were wide, recognizing the reiatsu that overflowed like a flood around them.

The sphere rose higher, higher, _higher_ and became even more solid, albeit transparent enough to see the ruins.

It was a golden, gigantic sun.

And in front of this shining, orange sun, Orihime strengthened her resolve.

"I reject."

* * *

**note. **AHHH! THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING! For **Vampyre Heartbreak** and your funny reviews that made me grin like a maniac- ahuh, the way igrin every time i visualized bull-Ichi and Hime making babies (gawd that was _low)_, **Enelya87** (gasp! –twitches-), **Blitch** (another gasp! –thuds-), **XBlueXFlamingoX**, **Tsukimoon**, **Yanaril**, (hugs thanks so much so much so much XD) **x3snow** (hey! Hime's not gonna die… i refused! XD so no worries on _hardboiled halcyon_, it has a twist… a-huh! Wait for it –wiggles brows- No, tragedy! I wrote a tragic IchiHime already… and it hurts –cries-), **slivblue **(your name's cute XD), **sekai-de-ichiban-no-hime****-sama** (_whoa_! ihat was long XD sorry i used - instead of . XD), **Nasuki-formally Orihime Girl, **(another _whoa! _XD XD), **hitokiri angel** (yeah!), **xXsnowfeltXx** (XD), **XNocturnal_shadowX **(_gasp! Gasp! _–i should stop gasping… _gasp!)_, **Tia-chan **(!), **inoueorihime20** (why 20? XD) lol~ arigato, let's spread ichihime hot, hot looove~ wow... long note!

**standard disclaimer applied.**


	6. to break, to violate, to scream, to cry

He watched in fascination as the golden sphere rose, rising like a sun. The only difference was— it didn't leave the ground.

It was incredibly warm, incredibly gentle. Just like her.

It was beautiful.

Just like her.

:

After the battle with Barragan that left Hachi with one hand missing, the gentle Vizard watched the barrier with horrified disbelief.

"She…s-she…" He narrowed his eyes. "What is this? This isn't simple temporal and spatial regression. Her powers resembled mine… But this is…" He squinted harder. "… _impossible._"

Soi fon raised an eyebrow, listening to his murmurs.

Hacchi looked grave, almost horrified.

_What is it?_

It was impossible.

_Indeed._ Hachi agreed. It was. _… this is… _ A bead of sweat rolled down from his temple to his jaw. _This is absolute rejection of phenomenon. For Inoue-san to supersede fate…_

_What the hell is she?_

Hachi feared the answer.

Far away from Soi fon and Hachi, Toshiro pondered the same question. _This… it can't be? Her powers are 'to heal'… what is this technique? Is this the reason why Aizen is interested in her? _His eyes widened more. _Wait—_ He narrowed his eyes, brows furrowed.

A horrified realization hit Toshiro.

_She's… restoring— _His eyes searched for the girl. _No… she's… restoring—_

"Wow…" Renji sounded awestruck. "Can you see _that_?" From beside him, Rukia was flabbergasted. "Is this what Aizen wants? _That _power? He said something 'phenomenon rejection' or something. She _rejects _events? Like… uh… What is she?" Renji squinted.

_What are you… doing, Inoue? _Rukia thought, awestruck, at the same time, horror-struck. She didn't know… such power can be bestowed to a _human._ But… Rukia knew, from the back of her head, that _Orihime _was not some normal… person. There was something odd about her powers, she knew, but she didn't realize, until now, how peculiar Orihime's powers were.

And how frightening they were.

:

Kisuke and Yoruichi silently watched the girl who looked calm, but exceptionally tired. Her eyes were determined, but the exhaustion was there, taking a toll on her body and mind. It was impressive that she lasted this long. Inoue-san had always been soft, frail. _Physically_. It was sheer motivation and will that kept her upright. Her fairy— the offensive attack Tsubaki— was standing guard above the girl's shoulders, looking up with a fierce, protective scowl.

"Kisuke."

A fan snapped open.

"Hoho! I am surprised."

"Liar." Yoruichi snapped. "You expected this."

Below the shadow of his stripped green and white bucket hat, Kisuke's eyes gleamed. "I am overwhelmed, to be honest, Yoruichi-san. She completely surpassed my expectations."

Yoruichi glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "_That_ is a frightening ability." She said, "She will be hunted for the rest of her life. Not only _by _Aizen."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

Yoruichi continued in her low voice. "That _power _will burden her for the rest of her life." She frowned at Kisuke's silence. "Kisuke—"

"Someone is already interested."

She followed his gaze.

:

"Truly an amazing ability, don't you agree…"

Aizen's eyes glinted.

"…Yamamoto-soutaichou?"

:

_Blur._

Ichigo and Shinji jerked, sensing the spike in rieatsu. The two Vizards looked around, locating the source. _Shit!_ Ichigo thought angrily. Shinji merely sneered and shot forward. Ichigo followed.

_Damn! He's… he's…—_

White hakama billowed from the corner of her eye. Stiffly, Orihime turned her head around. In slow motion, hair flying around her pale face, wide gray eyes met cold deep, pale brown eyes. Tsubaki was stunned as well. He… _the man was insanely fast!_ The fairy thought, _I didn't feel his presence!_

Aizen was _frighteningly _calm as he looked deeply into Orihime's terrified gray eyes. Violet and black energy sparked above his _only _available palm.

"Hadou."

Shinji panicked, recognizing the kido. _"Hachi!" _At point-blank, _that _kido will literally shred the princess into million pretty pieces. Then, it struck Shinji: _fuck! Hachi got one hand missing!_

How on earth can the Vizard erect a barrier?

Aizen's icy gaze paralyzed Orihime. "Level 90." The kido charged up itself, a twirling mass of black and violet energy.

Ichigo did not know what the _fuck _was going on, but he was smart enough to recognize danger. And Kidou.

_Goddamned!_ Shinji flash-stepped faster, hurrying after Ichigo who dashed like crazy.

Nearby, Toshiro cursed under his breath, eyes widening in horror. He can see the possible outcome… A level 90 Hadou… _up close?_ Like a china doll, she _will break._ The bloody cold murder in those blank eyes chilled Toshiro. Nevertheless, he moved forward as well. But he knew he'll be _too late._ And yet, he could not help but yell out to her in panic, "MOVE!"

But… Orihime _could not._ Not when Aizen was looking at her like _that. _Not when his frightening cold and heavy spiritual pressure was choking her like _this._ His eyes… at his _very _presence… Orihime felt lightheaded, breathless, and her body, already in brink of passing out due to exhaustion, fear and up close prolonged exposure from chilling spiritual pressure, shook _madly_. Her teeth shook as she struggled to speak, and her eyes—

"_Inoue!_"

Ichigo shouted, and his voice echoed inside her head.

She blinked.

Aizen lowered his lashes as he opened his mouth. "Kurohitsugi."

Thankfully, at the same time, her tri-god shield activated, and the two spells hit each other point-blank. The force of Aizen's kido was strong and being near to the explosion, it sent Orihime tumbling backwards, landing painfully on her butt then, sprawled on her knees. Frantically, she searched for Tsubaki.

"T-Tsubaki-k-kun!"

Smoke cleared.

Her eyes found her triangular shield. Spider cracks scattered across the glass-like shield before breaking into shards with gentle tinkling sounds.

Ichigo arrived first, teeth barred, swinging Zangetsu carelessly with one hand, aiming to cut off Aizen's head. He ignored the audible cracks as the bones of his sword arm struggled against each other. The ex-taichou simply turned his head to the side, expelled another kidou, which Ichigo blocked with Zangetsu, sending him spiraling backwards. Aizen blurred and reappeared behind the orange-haired shinigami, index finger sticking out. However, Shinji was waiting for him, stationed behind him, zanpakuto arching upwards.

Aizen smirked slightly, and flash stepped.

"Fucker." Shinji muttered humorlessly, eyes narrowed. Of course— _the fucker is simply an amazing fucked-up bastard. That pretty ass-fucker. _

Aizen simply smiled at his language. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Shinji's eyebrow twitched, _he can't read minds, can he?_ "What the fuck are you talking about, tosser?"

Aizen seemed very, _very _impressed.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

"What are you…" Shinji's voice trailed off, eyes widening in comprehension.

"…is that…" Toshiro murmured to himself, and like Shinji, he was wide-eyed.

Hachi was, strangely, sweating. "…Karakura."

"No way…" Soi fon muttered. "No way. I saw it. I saw how those Arrancars destroyed Karakura. I saw… it…"

Ishida, Chad, Renji and Rukia gaped.

"…what the hell? She really did _it!_" Renji gawked.

"Inoue…" _What kind of power do you possessed? _Rukia thought dazedly. _What are _you?

Below the flabbergasted soul reapers stood the town of Karakura.

Flawless.

Spotless.

Bustling and alive Karakura.

:

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai _actually _opened his eyes. Afterwards, they squinted, observing the recent… interesting development.

_Hmm._

"…Soutaichou."

_Indeed._

His eyes returned to their usual appearance.

_It is._

Sasakibe frowned slightly, seeing how the Captain-General's demeanor changed _ever _so slightly. It was _so _subtle, _so _small, but _something— _something really _did _cross that perfectly masked expression.

And he wondered what it was.

:

The gigantic transparent dome vanished slowly. It shimmered like golden dust, then thinned and vanished. Ichigo stared down to his previously-destroyed town with wide eyes. The crater… the black hole was replaced with _life._

_Is this… real?_

Karakura.

"This is…" he said slowly, brows furrowing as he frowned, still in the process of understanding what had occurred. "But… _how?_ How did… Karakura…"

"Not _only_ Karakura." Ichigo heard Aizen declare. "Please, look closer. Can't you feel _them_?"

Ichigo's eyes slowly widened. _Them?_ He sharpened his senses, eyes narrowing, jaw clenched.

Then, he felt _them_.

His jaw dropped as he gaped.

"What the—"

It was Toshiro, positioned nearby, who voiced out his horrified realization.

"… the 100,000 souls? They're… _restored?_"

:

Kensei merely looked down to the human girl. Inoue Orihime was simply watching the newly restored Karakura with wide-eyed innocence, oblivious to the fact that she was causing a massive stir among the soul reapers.

_A dangerous ability, _he thought, his face grim. _You… will be hunted for the rest of your life, girl._

:

Behind Love and Rose, Starrk rose, cocked his gun, and aimed. Hearing the cocking sound and sensing the dangerous spike of reiatsu, the two Vizards turned to the Primera Espada.

"What the helluva—"

"Oh shit." Rose deadpanned.

Starrk's eyebrows were straight above his eyes. "Hn." His eyes met Rose's. "Forgive me. I am just curious."

"What—" Rose and Love had seconds to dodge. They did and Cero passed above their heads with massive shockwave that they felt their _very_ bones tremble, their ears ringing, fine hairs rising, and the two Vizards tumbled and spiraled down, cursing under their breaths.

:

Cero shot down, and the force of it was… enough to cause a massive earthquake. If _air-quake _exists, this was how it would feel like_._ The shockwave was enormous, monstrously _enormous. _Air seemed to vibrate and it felt like a massive tsunami of air pressure was moving across the sky. To be expected from the Prima Espada. If the shockwave was _this_ strong, one can only wonder how powerful the real thing was. Soul reapers, Vizards and humans alike scattered as the Cero raced across the sky, gaining velocity and it seemed to gather speed and grow in side as it approached its target—

"Karakura!" Ishida yelled in the middle of the air and noise pressure the Cero seemed to create. Beside him, Chad had his eyes— both eyes — wide open.

"Shit!" Renji tightened his hold on Rukia, pressing her closer to his chest.

But Ichigo had another concern. That Cero… And Karakura…

"Inoue…"

The tower where she was—

"No!" His eyes widened in horror. "_Goddamned it!"_

She will—

"INOUE!"

And Cero hit Karakura.

:

Surprisingly, there was no aftershock. Only massive gales that pushed violently against the group of shinigami, Arrancar and humans were present.

"INOUE!" Ichigo shouted against the violent wind. The tattered ends of his robe flapped behind him. The irises of his eyes were almost pale in horror, yet he refused to be deterred. _She's alive._ All he had to do was to look for her. Find her. And everything will be alright.

It _will _be alright.

He pressed his teeth together _hard, _sensing her presence but finding nothing. _No! _His mind screamed. _No._ But panic began to cloud his judgment and senses. It fogged his brain, his senses, his logic. The hand that held Zangetsu began to shake. And inside his inner world, his Hollow was quiet, a pensive expression on his alabaster face.

He was waiting, waiting, _waiting._ He tried to suppress his excitement, because this _feeling_— that panic the Kingy was feeling, it will help him _break free. _It will break him _free._ But he refused to acknowledge the _other _feeling.

Fear.

The Hollow hated it.

But he also knew: fear thickened King's power.

"Inoue!"

The windstorm, thick with reiatsu continued to lash at them. Ichigo had one arm to his face, shielding his eyes. "Inoue!" He continued to search for her in the middle of noise, wind and swirling reiatsu. Many feet away, Ishida and Chad were wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Karakura…" murmured Ishida. _Where… is the explosion? _He knew how devastating the destroying power of a Cero. From the number One, he kind of expected that it would be a flashy detonation. But none came, only piercing and annoyingly strong windstorm greeted them.

_What happened?_

Rukia trembled inside Renji's arms. "…I-Inoue…" She can hear Ichigo's shouts of her name.

"Inoue! Where are you? _Inoue!"_

Slowly, the wind dissipated, calmed, and became gentle again. Ichigo frantically waved his free hand to push against the gale. As the wind calmed, the top view of Karakura became clear.

Some flinched. Some gasped. And every eye bulged in horrified shock.

"What the…?"

:

Toshiro was pale with shock, flinching back in surprise. "…what is… this? I'm sure Cero hit but…"

"Karakura…" Ishida muttered.

"…is not damaged?" finished Chad.

True enough, Karakura was undamaged, as if nothing had happened.

But how?

Rukia, who had turned her head around away from Renji's chest, squinted, gripping the front of Renji's kimono, "Look… closely." Ishida, Chad and Renji obeyed her, narrowing their eyes.

Ishida's eyes snapped wide. "A… _barrier?_" He recognized. "She didn't only restore it; she also surrounded Karakura with a barrier? But… that Cero—"

"It was powerful!" Renji argued. "I know _she's_ powerful and all but _that _thing— it's a fucking blasted Cero! And the guy's the _Primera!_"

Rukia agreed. She recognized Orihime's strength. But Renji's right. The guy's a _Primera._ There was a reason why he _is _a Primera. Her wide indigo eyes squinted harder. The golden transparent dome that surrounded the town was thin like glass. There were no cracks. And she noticed that the barrier wasn't there _before _the Cero. It seemed that the barrier activated _itself_.

And how about an explosion? Surely, an explosion will occur once Cero hit the barrier. Rukia remembered that there were _no _explosion, only massive shockwave as the Cero traveled across the sky and violent gale. But _no, no_ explosion.

_Still… to withstand such powerful attack… how did you do it, Inoue?_

The said girl, who unconsciously created a disturbance and confusion among the ranks of shinigami and Arrancars, was sitting on her calves on top of the surprisingly tough, albeit decrepit tower made by Urahara. Her hair was shielding her face from Ichigo and others.

Above her, with an unreadable expression— it was a frown, maybe a scowl, a mixed expression: alarm, worry, despair… something frail, something delicate, there was something strong and something painful… all hidden behind a frown— was Ichigo.

"…Inoue."

Wind pushed her hair off her face, revealing her lowered lids, her long straight lashes, her pale face. Slowly, clumsily, shakily, Orihime stood up, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Ichigo waited.

She kept her face down, hair sweeping across her face.

Still, he waited.

He… he wanted to see her eyes. Her tired, tired eyes, yet bright, bright, _bright _eyes_._

Orihime looked up, hair parting in the middle to reveal her face.

Their eyes met.

_Kurosaki-kun…_

A presence appeared between them, breaking their eye contact. Both jerked in surprise.

"Aizen!" Ichigo roared, automatically shifting to battle mode. He flash-stepped, disappearing in a blur. He reappeared, Zangetsu above his head. The black blade sliced the air with sharp noise that pierced Ichigo's ears. The zanpakuto attempted to slash at the enigmatic ex-captain but Aizen simply moved his head away.

"Hadou."

_Shit!_

Ichigo hated kidou with passion, ever since Rukia used one on him during their first fateful meeting.

"Level 90."

Out of nowhere, Shinji appeared, roundhouse kicking the orange-haired teen out of the way. Hadou hit air.

"Don't daydream, dumbass!" Shinji hollered at Ichigo.

"I'm not daydreaming!" Ichigo snapped back. He slammed his feet on air, skidding to a halt. The kick _hurt._ That son of a bitch.

"Oh shaddup! I'm the hero who is supposed to shine here! Don't ruin my love story!"

_Love story? _"You're fucking crazy, Hirako!"

"Shaddup, twerp. Yo, Aizen, let's rock, no?"

:

The battle raged on above Orihime. She watched hazily, her eyesight blurry.

"Oi, woman, what's with that dazed look?"

"Eh?" She blinked. "Tsubaki-kun! Are you alright?"

"Don't 'eh' me! I'm fine! I'm tough, unlike you! What's wrong with you? Something's off with you, woman!"

Orihime smiled faintly. "I'm fine…" Tsubaki glared. She was not. The side effects were showing, finally catching up with her. There were deep, dark patches under her eyes, making her eyes looked sunken. They were hooded. She was white as snow. So white that blue veins were visible under her onionskin-like flesh, and she looked _dead _on her feet. To Tsubaki, the princess looked like a dead-girl walking.

"You are _not _fine." The male fairy enunciated each word. "You—"

"I want to go back to Hueco Mundo." She interrupted softly.

Tsubaki almost _fell _off air. "_What the hell?_ ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? That annoying show off—" he pointed upwards, probably to Ichigo, "rescued you out of that freaking place and _you _want to go back there? I know you're weird but that's _plain stupidity!_" He had shouted the last two words, making Orihime flinched.

"Tsubaki-kun, I have something that I must do. But Kurosaki-kun…" she pressed a white hand on her forehead. "…he didn't allow me, but… I… I… I r-really have to do it."

"What the hell is it?"

She lifted her hooded gaze and tried to smile.

"I'm going to destroy the Hougkyou."

Tsubaki stared at her as if she was _crazy._

"You _are _crazy_?_" He hollered, wanting to blow his mistress up but _can't_. "That _thing _is dangerous! That weird _thing _suppresses reiatsu, even _breathing!_ You'll die just at its mere presence! Didn't you notice the first time you saw it? _It _almost _suffocates _you!" Tsubaki was tiny, as long as her pale, thin hand, but his voice was amazingly loud and strong as if his size was of that a normal human being.

"But…"

"_No!_" He snarled. "You're going to blow yourself up— no, _you're going to blow us up!_"

"Tsubaki-kun, no _one's _going to—"

"No!"

"I know it's dangerous! That's why… I… I…" She paused, swallowing thickly, shakily. "I have to destroy it before it fully awakens." She met Tsubaki's glare determinedly. "Tsubaki-kun, please understand—"

Tsubaki snorted. "Hell _no._" He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at her. "How sure are you that it is _there?_ I don't think he's the type of guy who'll leave a valuable thing over there. He knows _you _can reject it— why would he freaking leave it there! _Think, you annoying woman!_"

Orihime bit her lip. Tsubaki had a point. _Aizen… He's difficult to understand. _And he's frighteningly smart, too. His most dangerous ability was most probably his intellect. _And he lied to me… He said he needs my ability. But it was a lie. I am a distraction. The bait. To trick Kurosaki-kun and my friends…_

Dazedly, she looked up, trying to locate Aizen. The images were blurry, and her eyelashes felt heavier, weighing her eyelids down. Shakily, Orihime lifted a hand to her forehead. Her skin was cold to touch, and she felt lightheaded.

Glaring pointedly at her, Tsubaki studied her with narrowed eyes. His brows furrowed deeply as he growled, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

Orihime blinked, flashing a shaky smile. "I'm f-fine…" Her fingers clawed over the hair on her forehead, nails digging against her scalp.

_I feel… n-numb… What's wrong—_

"You're _drained!_"

Minuscule tremors started to shake her. All of a sudden, her limbs felt like lead. "I-I…" Even her voice shook as she struggled to speak. "I… t-t-think… I…used too m-much..." All of a sudden, she wanted to _sleep._

For a long, long time.

"You _drained _yourself—" Tsubaki stopped in mid-tirade, his ears catching a sharp sound of something approaching. Something thin. Something— He jerked his head up. His eyes widened, and he felt, for a second, his heart drop like a rock at the pit of his stomach.

"T-T-Ts-Tsuba-k-ki-kun?"

He whipped his head around to face her, his eyes filling his face. She had never seen him _so _horrified before.

"Woman! Put up your goddamned shield!"

"I—"

:

"_Inoue!_"

From the distance, Rukia screamed.

:

Four seconds prior.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

The substitute soul reaper gritted his teeth, ignoring the trickle of blood over his right eye. Breeze constantly tousled his orange hair, making the thick bright strands messier. Some locks fell over his forehead, shadowing his furrowed brows and intense, bright amber-brown eyes that seemed to brighten and darken at the same time.

"Let me break your resolve."

His eyes snapped wider. _…what the fuck!_

Aizen's expression was serene and his eyes were cold depths of pale brown.

"I will break you apart."

To Ichigo, there was something chillingly _disturbing_ on how the ex-captain looked at him. Most of all, the _calmness _was unsettling. Even his choice of words was unnerving him. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, jaw clenching as his instincts sharpened, his nerves _ridiculously _jumpy_._

_What is this… feeling of—_

Brown eyes rounded slightly.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast. Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle."

_Shit._

A wave of yellow energy gathered atop Aizen's palm.

"Hadou."

Ichigo stopped in mid-shunpo to change direction, preparing to dodge.

"Level 63. Raikōhō."

Easily, Ichigo dodged as Azien fired the kido. "Shit!" Angrily, the orange-haired teen swung Zangetsu forward, cutting across the blast of yellow energy, scattering the spell. Yellow sparks flew about, flickered and vanished.

"Ai—"

Ichigo's brows shot up as he caught Aizen's movement from the corner of his eye. Brown eyes bulged.

"What the _hell…_"

The kidou was a distraction.

Aizen threw Kyoka Suigetsu down.

The boy turned his whole body around. It seemed that time slowed down to mock him. Sounds were muted. His eyes followed the descent of the zanpakuto. And when he realized the target, his heart dropped like a rock.

…

"_Woman! Put up your goddamned shield!"_

The violent shout pierced and broke the silence.

"_Inoue!_"

There was another scream. Rukia, he vaguely recognized.

:

To his horror, despair and heartbreak and _heartbreak, heartbreak— _Kyoka Suigetsu hit its target. It went through Inoue Orihime, between her breasts, right in the middle of her chest.

Ichigo's grip on Zangetsu loosened, his jaw dropping, brown eyes bulging.

_Crack._

The sound that resembled a glass splintering echoed inside his Inner World, disturbing his Instinct.

:

He felt his world fall apart. Again. And again, and again, and again.

:

…

…

…

"INOUE!"

:

Whatever it was, it completely broke into pieces.

His Instinct and his Zanpakuto merely listened as the scream echoed.

…

…

.

.

…

…

* * *

**title. **to break, to violate, to scream, to cry**  
disclaimer. **applied**  
summary. "**this is how we break a glass"  
**prompt/s. **glass, breaker**  
warning. **it's a cliffhanger XD**  
for. **Lil' Evil Angel, hitokiri angel, Miss L _(XD),_ Blitch, x3Snow _(motor-mouth! –lol-)_, Yanaril, Tsukimoon, XBluexFlamingoX, slivblue, Nasuki- formally Orihime Girl, inoueorihime20 _(ohhh, now I know!)_, Vampyre Heartbreak _(!)_, war90, MasquaradeBlack _(XD Aizen hater! i'd hate to be your enemy XD XD)_, littlegem, xNocturnalxShadowX (_you really hate Aizen, don't you? Waaah I would never want to be hated by you XD XD)_, VergilTheart _(i'm laughing again for some unknown reason XD)_, Tia-chan18 (_here it is! thanks for the message/bullying me, cos really, I'm a lazy itch 8D yep I purposely omitted the B XD) _and all readers who read this fangirl work! Hai, hai, arigato~ thanks for the hits! Now I must go and wipe the snot running down my chin.

review please? (or i'd slobber all over your pretty, pretty… um, that's disgusting XD ignore me -whoosh!)


	7. to drown in your beautiful insanity

The scream was an annoying echo. The _something _or the _whatever _that broke into pieces did not matter to him anymore. It _did_, but not anymore.

_Heh._

He lounged there, one hand supporting his head, pale hair between his eyes, and blue tongue between his lips.

_Whatever._

Half lidded gold eyes flashed like neon lights behind his unruly thick bangs.

_I like this fuckin' soap opera, old man. _He leered in genuine glee._…the sky is fuckin' crack-iiiing._

A wide, malicious grin split his white face into halves.

_Majesty's gonna __crack __soon. _He sang in drawling tone.

The grin widened in excitement as he moved to stand up lazily. _Very soon, and I'm going to show those ass-fuckers how to _properly _kiss an ass! That scatterbrain Ichigo… Tch! What a slobbering weakling._

Zangetsu looked up to the sky, eyes sobered.

The crack in the sky was widening. And something was peeking out from it, something _very _bright, _very _yellow.

_Hey, old man! Don't ignore me! _Black-socked feet stomped the ground as he jumped down from the ledge where he previously lounged.

"Hn."

_Aww, worried about the Majesty? How touching! _He laughed shrilly and the malevolent sound resonated around the Inside World. The Spirit didn't respond. A disgruntled look crossed the Instinct's face, peeved at being ignored. _What the hell are you looking at, hmm! _Gold eyes looked up as well.

A few heartbeats passed.

_Oh good ass fuck._

"Hn."

It started to rain. The sheet of rain was thin, the raindrops small and round. Oddly, although they fell steadily, the downpour was very gentle. But the _Instinct _was not impressed. The fact of the matter was: everything inside this _fucked up _world is fucked up.

But what _fucked up _the most inside Kingy's World, you wonder? Despite the rain and the glassy cracks across the sky and skyscrapers … there was a _sun_.

A sun… was shining through the wide _crack_.

Pale eyebrows furrowed, gold eyes flashing.

_That's a big ass supernova!_

Zangetsu nodded once. "Yes."

The alabaster Instinct sneered widely, his canines showing.

_You've got to be fucking kidding me! What the fuck is going on? Oi, King, fuck you, dork! What the fuck are ya doing to _my fucked up _world? A friggin' sun_… in here_? While _raining? _You fucking with my brains, bastard?_

The rain continued to fall gently, undisturbed by the aggravated yells.

_You want a fucking solar system in _here? _Might as well add a damned garden of sunflowers and kittens too! Loser!_

Zangetsu squinted, staring at the sky.

"…_Ichigo."_

:

Two hearts pulsed in two different beats.

His, a rough drum roll. Hers, a gentle nursery rhyme.

Then, there was a wet punching sound.

Silence hung like a thread, and then, there was a delicate-sounding _crack_, followed by a scream.

:

A world had fallen apart.

:

Mocking the horrified spectators, time seemed to freeze. Orihime stood still, a beautiful motionless doll.

Sounds muted, silencing the shouts, trapping the horror, prolonging torture. Rukia was screaming while struggling in vain against stunned Renji's restraints. Toshiro was gaping. Shinji, wide-eyed. Ishida, horrified. Chad, quiet. Kisuke and Yoruichi silently, albeit shocked, assessed the situation, stunned at the recent development.

A gentle breeze pierced the stillness, lifting a long lock of auburn-orange hair.

"_INOUE!_"

Shinji flinched at the shout. It was a strong roar, but oddly, to him, it sounded frail, broken. Did it make sense? Maybe, maybe not. It was like glass.

A shattering glass.

With a small frown, lids lowered, Shinji glanced at the corner of his eye as a blur of black and orange violently went past him like a rampaging bull.

.

.

A single red drop touched the ground, followed by another.

Three drops, four, five. And then, a red mini-waterfall splattered the ground.

Orihime fell to her knees, not hearing Tsubaki's shouts. Eventually, she settled in W-sitting, face turned up to the sky. Her gray eyes filled her face. They were wide, bulging, staring, but _not_ seeing anything. In front of her, Tsubaki continued to shout, not knowing what to do. Pain hadn't settled yet, thanks to the numbness that spread all over her body, wrapping around her like a straitjacket.

"_Woman!_"

Lips parted slightly. Chest rose and fell. Slowly, she looked down blankly, unblinkingly. With trembling fingers, her hands went up to grasp the blade.

Tsubaki kept yelling.

"GODDAMN IT!" The male fairy hollered, snapping his head back as he shouted up to the sky. Orihime didn't reply, only quietly, almost serenely staring down at the zanpakuto sticking out of her chest. It was so warm… _so_ warm, and so wet.

Her grip around the blade tightened that it cut her palms. With a disturbing calm face and wide eyes, she pulled at the blade slowly. Inch by inch, the blade moved. Blood sloshed out at every inch.

"Stop it! You'll bleed to death! _Stop it!_" Tsubaki was beyond hysterical. _Fuck, _he didn't know what to do. He _cut _things. He _destroys _things. He's _Tsubaki. _Not Shun'o and Ayame who _heal;_ or Baigon or Hinagiku or Lily who _protects._

He _cuts. _He _destroys. _He's _Tsubaki._

_What should I do?_

_What should I do?_

_What?_

_What?_

_WHAT?_

Screams echoed inside his head. His whole body shook in rage, in horror, in fear.

Blood thickened and pooled.

…_!_

Tsubaki looked down to his hands. His whole body went rigid. "What the… hell…" his head snapped up to look at his princess and then, down to his hands again. "S-shit! I'm _fading!_" He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Damn it! Don't you dare die on me, woman!"

"_Inoue!"_

Tsubaki turned to the voice, and for the very first time, he was able to appreciate the bright-haired substitute's presence. Kurosaki Ichigo landed, dust kicking up, knees bending to absorb impact before sprinting towards them. Tsubaki noted the horror and _suppressed_— heartbreak? Pain? _Pain?_ — in the bright-haired teen's eyes, but Tsubaki had no time to relish it.

He had his _own _horror and pain to deal with.

"T-T-Tsu… baki…kun…" Her soft voice jerked his head back to her. The girl was still pulling the blade off her body, her palms were bleeding. Finally, she managed to pull off the zanpakuto and at once, blood flooded out of her in a violent rush, making a pool at her lap, behind her, _around_ her.

"H-hey— _woman!_"

How can someone so frail bleed _so _much?

She started to fall sideward but a woman with deep purple hair appeared beside the girl, kneeling in one knee and caught the bleeding body before it hit the ground. Kyoka Suigetsu clattered noiselessly at the ground.

.

.

In few seconds, he'll be there.

In few seconds, he'll be at her side.

His long legs moved faster, covering the distance. His wild orange hair moved at his every step, bangs plastered on his sweat-covered forehead, between his furrowed brows and eyes. Just a few more steps. _Faster. _Even though his legs were on the verge of buckling due to exhaustion, he kept running. His muscles were straining, but he kept running.

He had to keep running. Chase after her. Chase after _her _fading life. Cling to _her _life that slowly… slowly…

It started to hurt— _something, _something started to hurt but he ignored it.

Bury. Repress. _Anything._

.

.

_Don't stop._

.

.

_Don't stop._

.

.

_Don't stop breathing._

.

.

But she kept bleeding.

…

…

In the _very, very _back of his mind he realized: in her pain, in her horror and in her blood… she was even _more _beautiful.

.

.

Out of nowhere, a blur appeared before him and Ichigo skidded to a halt.

Brown eyes widened in recognition. "Urahara-san!"

The shopkeeper lifted his chin, looking at the visibly shaken Ichigo. The brim of his bucket hat shadowed his eyes.

Panting harshly, Ichigo's face hardened. "Get out of my way."

Unflinchingly, Kisuke returned the stare. "Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo ground his molars. His shoulders were moving up and down. The muscles on his jaw moved visibly, eyes narrowing. The bags under his eyes were darker now, showing fatigue and stress of endless battles.

"Move."

Kisuke didn't move, and there was a spike of reiatsu. A warning.

"_GET OUT OF MY WAY!"_

Ignoring the outburst (and a flare of spiritual pressure), the exiled captain reached forward and grabbed the young man's shoulder. Kisuke ignored the way Ichigo recoiled at the touch.

"There is nothing you can do for her."

Ichigo violently flinched, wide-eyed. That _fucking _stung. He can do anything for her. He can make things alright. He _will _make things alright for her.

She _had _to go home. He will bring her home. She _had _to rest. He will bring her home to rest. She _had _to be alright. He will _make this alright._

The grip on his shoulder grew tighter. Ichigo's stare went past Kisuke.

Yoruichi, who wore a worried frown, lips curling in a scowl, effortlessly lifted Orihime's bleeding body. Head full of red-orange hair tilted back lifelessly. Bangs fell back, revealing a pale face. Auburn hair was redder. And they were wet, tangled together. Kisuke silently stared at the young man's face, watching as expression after expression, emotion after emotion— some fleeting, some cloaked, some unguarded — flashed over the young man's bleeding face.

"But _you_ can finish this."

Something akin to desperation flitted over the substitute's face.

"For her."

The amber eyes ignited. Kisuke can almost see the girl's bleeding body being reflected in those vivid amber eyes.

"We can save her. _You_ can free her," Kisuke lowered his voice, "from this nightmare."

_Aizen._

"Kurosaki-san." Kisuke silently watched the boy close his eyes, bow his head and grit his teeth. The cords of neck muscles popped out as he clenched his teeth _forcefully_, barring them while his whole body painfully stiffened.

"Damn it."

Kisuke barely heard the curse. It was so quiet, yet he can _taste _the despair, the hurt, the desperation. Discreetly, he watched blood rolled from between Ichigo's fingers down to the black blade of Zangetsu as the grip around the hilt tightened.

"Damn it, damn it, _damn it_…"

The shopkeeper wisely stepped backwards, letting go of the younger man's shoulder. Kisuke can _practically _feel the electric surge of spiritual pressure as energy collided with each other creating tangible and visible sparks. The surge was giving him a headache.

"We will save her."

The boy viciously looked up, brown eyes flashing violently behind his wild bright bangs. Brows were furrowed in a deep V, and his teeth were barred, gnashing together.

_Oho! Brrr…_ Scary kid, Kisuke thought. And that was a _scary _look. Kisuke slowly backtracked, keeping his gaze on the boy. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with Yoruichi when the woman chose the moment to spin around, facing Ichigo. With an uncharacteristic solemn look, Kisuke watched Ichigo's face and eyes go pale.

It was amazing how the mighty had fallen.

.

.

Beauty met terror. Innocence tangled with horror.

A bloody, bloody beauty wrapped in horror and despair.

That's what she was.

.

.

"I… Inoue."

.

.

_Desperation leads to insanity._

Yoruichi, as gently as she could, simply turned around. Her presence was blurring as she prepared to leave.

Ichigo's eyes widened, brown irises flashing fiercely as he snapped out of his trance. He lifted his free hand, reaching forward. "Wait! _Inoue!_"

"You can't save her." Yoruichi casually tossed over shoulder. "But we _can. _And we will." With that, she disappeared in a blur.

"Inoue!" He attempted to come after Yoruichi but Kisuke blocked him.

"Kurosaki-san, your place is _here._"

"But—"

"You can't save her." Kisuke ignored the brief flash of _something _which was quickly replaced with anger, "But we can. And we will."

With that, he blurred, flash-stepped and disappeared.

.

.

_You can't save her._

His grip around Zangetsu tightened.

_You can't save her._

His teeth ground together.

_There is nothing you can do for her._

Teeth barred.

…_nothing, nothing you can do for her._

The bitter taste of his despair filled his mouth and his veins. It crawled inside his World, that horizontal plane he had inside himself. Inside this Inner World, his _Instinct _grinned widely, licking his lips, relishing the taste of his Majesty's misery. It tasted… _so _good, sweet, tangy.

_Tch. Weakling._

Yet, deep, deep, _deep _inside his bottomless emptiness, he knew _there was something wrong with these feelings._

.

.

_Feelings are like liquid, aren't they?_

_They flow._

_Horror is like liquid, isn't it?_

_It flows._

_Despair is like liquid, isn't it?_

_It flows._

_Desperation is like liquid, isn't it?_

_It flows._

And together, they tangle.

They overflow.

.

.

And when they overflow_…_

.

.

With even steps, head still bowed, Ichigo walked across the pillar, stopping abruptly at the edge of the small pool of rich red blood. There was a brief pause, and then he bent down and snatched the bloody Kyoka Suigetsu off the ground. Callously, surprising the spectators, Ichigo threw the zanpakuto upward. Wide eyes watched as it flew across the sky, piercing the wind.

With a cold, cool smirk and indifferent grace, Aizen caught Kyoka Suigetsu easily.

The top surface of the pillar started to crack under Ichigo's feet.

Aizen's neutral expression didn't change, lids lowered over passive, piercing brown eyes.

Shinji's eyebrows scrunched. _…whatcha gonna do?_

Rukia's eyes were wide. A trickle of sweat rolled down her cheek.

The corner of Renji's mouth twitched.

Ishida eyed the orange-haired substitute wearily.

Sado waited quietly.

A small, indulgent smirk. "Come."

The air around Aizen thickened, and a startlingly heavy blanket of spiritual pressure fell, causing a ripple of shock among Gotei 13, Vizards and humans.

Eyes darkened coldly.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

:

His teeth barred as visible flares of reiatsu surrounded him. They _overflowed._ And who fucking cares if the amount was _fucking _insane? Thick unruly orange bangs fell over the substitute's face, shadowing his eyes. Those closer to the pillar he was standing on shivered at the violent flare of spiritual pressure.

"Rukia!" Renji exclaimed as Rukia let out a startled loud gasp, her knees buckling under her weight. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I… the… reiatsu!" she gasped.

"Damn it!" _This is bad…_Renji gritted his teeth, knees shaking slightly as Ichigo's heavy reiatsu fell around them like an enormous blanket. _This… this punk! Control your damn reiatsu, kid!_

But the build up continued. The flare thickened. Cracks crawled down from the top of the pillar to the bottom.

_Crap…_ Toshiro winced, a headache coming on. _This amount of reiatsu… damn, I know he's got tons of spiritual pressure inside him but this is insane! Matching Aizen's reiatsu…_

Kensei had a crumpled look. Hachi looked worried, although Kensei guessed it was because of the red-haired girl. His eyes narrowed, watching as reiatsu continued to thicken around the boy. It was overflowing… until it thinned and became invisible however, the pressure remained heavy.

A heavy silence reigned.

Kensei readied. _Here…_

Viciously, Ichigo lifted his chin. Bangs flew up, revealing _his eyes._

Rukia flinched at the _look _she saw on his face, _Ichigo!_

…_we—_

His mouth opened.

:

"_Aizen!_"

:

…_go!_

And with that, Ichigo shot up like a bullet, and the pillar exploded into pieces.

.

.

Somewhere, two figures appeared and landed on the ground without a noise just outside the barrier.

"Kisuke, are we allowed to enter her barrier?"

"Ah~ let's see, Yoruichi-san. I'm guessing that this barrier only activates when your intention is to harm the town."

"So… if our intention is to help Inoue…"

Kisuke lifted a hand. The barrier shimmered before his fingertips, a ripple disturbed the calmness. _Hmm… _His hand went through the barrier and the thin shield vanished, scattering into gold dusts.

"Impressive."

"This is the work of an anti-god." Kisuke giggled.

Yoruichi arched a brow but stayed quiet as they jumped up to the roofs. The nearest hospital they found belonged Ishida Ryuuken. The situation was dire but Kisuke found time to admire the "Rejection of Phenomenon".

It was stunningly flawless.

_A power that violates God's power of creation and omnipotence—_an Anti-God, the _object_ that mocks the power of god.

As they entered the facility, hubbub broke out. The awful amount of blood that leaked out from the unconscious girl's body caught everyone's attention. In seconds, Orihime was on a stretcher, hair all over the white linen. The stretcher disappeared as a couple of nurses in scrub suits and in white flocked around the patient while pushing it towards the doors of Emergency Room. The doctor who appeared was Ishida Ryuuken himself.

There was no flash of recognition as the three highly-spiritually aware individuals stared at each other.

"Oho!" Kisuke snapped his trusted fan open and chuckled behind it.

Ryuuken was indifferent, Yoruichi looked bored. After a few minutes of tensed air around the three, Ryuuken turned away indifferently to enter the ER.

"Jackass," Yoruichi scoffed.

.

.

_Desperate._

_Sick._

_Mad!_

_Insane._

_These convoluted feelings…_

His Instinct gleefully leered, gold eyes gleaming, tongue licking his lips.

…_are contagious._

:

The rain continued to fall. The sun continued to shine.

…_these feelings—_

Zangetsu turned to his alabaster companion whose face was twitching albeit sneering.

_God-fucking-damnit! I want to vomit! This… this…_

"Pain." The Zanpakuto offered.

Gold eyes flashed violently.

_Whatever! I feel like I'm chewing Kingy's shit!_

* * *

**title. **to drown in your beautiful insanity **  
****disclaimer. **applied**  
****summary. **"she bleeds and she is _fucking _beautiful."  
**prompt/s. **blood, horror, beauty**  
****warning.**bad, bad tangled words and some _icky _statements from Shirosaki-kun-aka-my-bitch-XD**  
**

**thank you very much.** **tsukiko tanaka.** (thanks very much, girl XD)**Ying Fa Xang**(thanks very much thanks very much!) **DCC**(hmm… Hime… survives? Um, we don't know yet! The crazy lazy loser writer-wannabe of this fic is currently on pink drugs XD thanks for the review!) **strawberrypumpkin09**(Aizen is a sexy, tricky, handsome bastard...? =D) **Vergil Theart**(hey you, imagine me glaring at YOU, where's your update? Hee hee! That was Copper's scaring tactic!) **XBluexFlamingoX**(um, I'm currently in an asylum! And I'm very happy here XD) **Yanaril**(yes! yes! yes! How could I? I… I… don't know! XD) **Kitsuru** (huh? Me? Evil? Me? Nooo! I'm_a_ carrot, a dancing happy carrot!) **MasqueradeBlack** (uh, scary! –hides- XD thank you so much for your time and review!) **XNocturnalxShadowX**(oohhh I love breads, especially with strawberry jam! Hit me hit me!) **inoueorihime20**(lol~ here a chappy for you) **Saint Dezzie** (XD! Thanks so so so much!) **Lil' Evil Angel**(cliffy? What's a cliffy? Is it the grand canyon cliffy? XD XD thank you for your enjoyable review, it made me roll and roll :D) **Blitch** (I do? Um… I'm crazy, maybe? I dunno –grins-) **Chocobaby** (thank youuu!) **HK-Raven**(thanks again XD) **X3Snow**(I love you I do I do I do! –hides from Fairest-) **Miss L** (…I won't deny nor confirm… -choking noises- Thanks so muuuch! –hugs-)**moonstar31548**(I updated :) sadly… um, the loser/author took a vacation inside an asylum XD XD next chapter will answer your question, sweetie XD thanks for your time XD) **Enelya87**(the beast and the beauty! XD XD ahh I feel sad… why must good things come to an end?) **Tsukimoon**(no! please don't cry! But Hime… wah!) **Vampyre Heartbreak** (… … … I'm scared actually –HAHAHAHAHA cough cough- oh yeah, Shiro-Biatch –kyaa marry me marryyy me!) **Tia-chan** (…! I… updated!) **war90** (the fight scenes, they make me crazy and very very tired. I wanna end these crazy fights already but… but ARGH! Thanks for the review =D!) **copper** (I updated… I did… so I'm GLARING at you right now… and… and… and… uh, uh, uh, -fidgets- _waaah! I'm scared sorry copper-samaaa I cannot glare at copper-samaaa!_Oh no! don't tell me you drown yourself in FF7? Nooooo… come back to the world of elephants and berries!) **star-chan** (=D =D)

Whoop-dee-doo-yup! Arigato~ for the hits, clicking, reading, and reviewing! You guys are Super Awesome. Please let me virtually hug you all~ review if you have time :))


	8. to make everything alright

Tensa Zangetsu met Kyoka Suigetsu.

Wild, burning chocolate eyes met half-lidded, pale-brown eyes.

Ichigo was gritting his teeth in fury.

Aizen was smiling in mild amusement, indulging himself.

"…you _bastard._" It was a painfully rigid hiss. In fact, Ichigo felt his teeth ache from the force of his gritting.

The corner of _that_ smile rose higher. In response, brown eyes blazed fiercely – half amber, half chocolate. They glowed. They hid emotions. They burst.

Metal ground against metal.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo's whole face twitched, and Aizen's smirk grew colder. The ex-captain twisted his zanpakuto a little. A trickle of blood from Kyoka Suigetsu touched the black blade of Tensa Zangetsu. A long, thin trail of blood ran along the sharp edge of the blade. The boy had stiffened, Aizen sensed. And he went pale under the bloodstains, almost gray. Eyes were no longer brown— they were pale. Pale, _pale_ amber.

They… became filled with strangled, tangling, tumbling emotions.

Aizen's eyes narrowed amusedly.

"Orihime…" Aizen began and the boy flinched visibly as though electrocuted, wide-eyed stare lifting from the trickle of blood to Aizen's cold gaze.

"…looks even more beautiful when she's covered in blood, doesn't she?"

:

Crack.

Crack.

_Crack._

A gentle tinkling sound of _something _breaking filled the inverted, sideways space.

His Instinct was no longer spitting vulgar curses.

Zangetsu sobered more.

:

"Getsu… _Getsuga Tensho_!"

:

"Level 63. Raikōhō."

:

Getsuga Tensho disintegrated.

A blade materialized, sweeping the smoke soundlessly, and Kyoka Suigetsu ran its tip across Ichigo's chest deeply. Blood exploded from the laceration. Ichigo cursed harshly, leaping back a few times before stopping. However, Shinsho came after him.

He whipped his head around.

_Fuck!_

His body moved, probably out of pure instinct.

Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu to block the zanpakuto. The tip of Shinsho hit Tensa Zangetsu, and the force behind Shinsho pushed Ichigo back. The orange-haired substitute growled another vulgar curse, gritting his teeth as he held his zanpakuto with both hands, one on the hilt, and the other on the black blade. With a roar, he flung Tensa Zangetsu forward, and the blade sliced air, forcing Gin to retract Shinsho. Blood flew in thick drops, and for a moment, Ichigo faltered. The bones of his sword arm were straining under his tanned skin and the weight of Zangetsu's continuous, heavy attacks. Furthermore, he was in almost constant _Bankai _form. Muscles clenched painfully around the bones. The punctured wound below his collarbone where Shinsho pierced him previously still hurt and bled. Thick, _thick_ blood was oozing from the wound. The flow was slow, but very profuse.

It _hurt._

But he ignored the pain and the blood that covered his chest.

_Bastard!_ With that, Ichigo shot forward towards Aizen again, roaring. Blood rushed past him. He prepared another Getsuga, black and red reiatsu swirling around the blade in thick mass.

"_Aizen!"_

The ex-captain merely smiled.

"Getsuga…" Ichigo growled between tightly clenched teeth. Zangetsu vibrated, feeling the hatred, the desperation, frustration— _everything_, and Zangetsu knew, his wielder was not aware of the _emotions_.

Or the _shit_, as his Instincts had spat seconds before.

_No._

Zangetsu countered.

_He knows._

_But he pretends._

Thicker threads of tangible and visible reiatsu burst out from his hand that gripped Zangetsu. The reiatsu covered the blade and extended, thickening ominously.

Aizen simply waited for the attack, his amputated arm still bleeding, looking at Ichigo beneath his lashes.

"…_Tensho!_"

The attack tore towards the sky, a black wave of reiatsu. Behind this wave was Ichigo, gripping Zangetsu with both hands. The Getsuga Tensho was still attached to his sword. Aizen calmly sliced the attack in the middle. He lifted his gaze and saw Ichigo above him, with a vicious snarl, brown — almost pale amber — eyes flashing violently behind orange bangs that fell on his bloody forehead. Zangetsu, covered in unreleased Getsuga, was positioned above his head.

"…interesting." Aizen smiled.

Ichigo blinked. _…what the fuck—_

For a moment, he was suspended in mid-air, unmoving. Getsuga Tensho started to dissolve, and his body felt so heavy.

Then, blood— _his blood— _erupted.

_Shit._

"Ichigo!" He heard Shinji yell.

Aizen smirked.

"D-damn you…" Ichigo growled, gravity hit, and he was flying backwards after Aizen – or Gin, he didn't know anymore – casually swung his sword down, but it was _goddamned _strong, causing a deep laceration across his chest, from his right shoulder down to his left hip.

_It didn't hurt._

_It didn't._

Thick blood flew as he zoomed backwards. Ichigo gritted his teeth, his eyesight turning hazy.

_It didn't fucking hurt._

Exhaustion was finally catching up with him. His grip around Zangetsu began to loosen. His arm started to numb, as well as his whole body. Any minute now, he would not be able to use his sword arm anymore.

_It… didn't fucking —_

Large, hazel eyes flashed inside his mind.

Brown eyes blinked –

.

.

"_Don't die, Kurosaki-kun!"_

:

—and they blazed bright amber.

:

Ichigo gritted his teeth and slammed his foot down. His momentum skidded to an abrupt halt. He coughed out blood as he fell on one knee, body bending forward, orange hair falling over his forehead. His broad shoulders were moving up and down as he panted harshly. Blood continued to wet his kimono, his orange hair messier with flecks of blood.

"Ichigo!" Shinji hollered, arriving next to him. "You fucking retard! What—"

"Shut up."

Shinji blinked and frowned deeply. The boy lifted his face, and Shinji's brows arched. _The fuck? He's banged up and yet he still got that annoying fucking look in his eyes… _The Vizard furrowed his brows, _what's with that look? _Honestly, this guy was starting to _seriously _annoy him. He got looks in his eyes— intense, terrifying, confusing, unfathomable looks. And _honestly_, those "looks" confused and interest Shinji.

_No fuckin' wonder the power-hungry bitch is interested._

Ichigo was _one _interesting specimen.

And _fucking _stubborn, too.

Shinji had concluded a long time ago that this stubborn boy's annoying determination knows no _fucking _limits. It is limitless. This boy… would not just _simply _die. To kill Ichigo, you'd need to cut off his arms and legs, and diced him into pieces of molecular, _no, _cellular level. Cut off his arms, and he'd use his mouth to weild his sword. Cut off his legs, and he'd crawl.

Being stubborn meant _dangerous, _too.

Ichigo being a mere _human_ is _more _dangerous.

"I'll kill him."

Shinji's expression did not change. A _look _flitted over Ichigo's face, replaced by a frigid glare.

"I'll _kill _him." Ichigo repeated, his tone hard and cold.

_Will you?_ Shinji wanted to ask. After all, despite his incessant battles, Ichigo had never killed anyone.

Ichigo wiped the blood off his mouth, brown eyes flashing violently, vividly as he looked up to Aizen. "…I will." Slowly, he rose to his feet, still panting. "I don't care how, but I will."

"Ichigo—"

But the boy didn't listen. Teeth barred, Ichigo shot forward again, Zangetsu at his side. Black reiatsu gathered to power up another Getsuga.

Shinji's eyes darkened as a look of pure irritation passed over his face.

"Idiot."

In a blink, the Vizard disappeared and rematerialized before Ichigo.

Sensing a presence, Ichigo frown's deepened as he lifted his eyes. "What—" His words were cut off as Shinji swung an arm, made a sweeping motion and hit Ichigo's head above his ear, tossing him to the side. There was a surprised yelp, "Damn it— Hirako! What the fuck was that for, you bastard?" The boy hollered as soon as he regained his footing, slamming his feet down. Ichigo swerved and made another attempt to attack Aizen but Shinji interrupted him with a shout.

"Stay the fuck where ya are, retard!"

Ichigo jerked, surprised at the unusual sharpness lacing Shinji's tone.

"What—"

Shinji sneered, eyes in slits and they held incredible killing intent.

"If you continue to fight like a baby, you'll fuckin' die."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo snapped back. "I—"

"If you keep attacking without a clear mind, it would be easy for that asshole to kill you! Your emotions…" He saw Ichigo's eyes widen, filling with _something — _anything and everything and more — Shinji narrowed his eyes, gazing back to Aizen. "… are in chaos, Ichigo. Your attacks have no direction. You're careless."

Ichigo's grip on Zangetsu painfully tightened, a muscle on his jaw clenched.

"You're upset."

Shinji saw how stiff Ichigo became. "I'm not—"

"Your reiatsu is fluctuating. It's shooting up everywhere. Emotions directly influenced your reiatsu."

"I don't," Ichigo gritted out, "_fucking_ get what you're saying."

Shinji sneered smugly as he looked back at Ichigo. His sneer widened in ironic amusement at the picture of a bright-haired boy who desperately wanted to look strong and calm, but deep inside, was tired, wanted to go home, wanted to be _normal_. Shinji wanted to point out Ichigo's shaking hands and shaking Zangetsu, and that he was pale, and _that _he looked like someone— _someone_ whose world was tumbling around him, crashing _around him_.

But Shinji did not.

However, the blonde Vizard wanted to point out something else. Just to spite the idiot.

"Heh." An amused, lipless sneer spread across Shinji's face. "I didn't know you _are _emotional." He watched the substitute stiffen, and then, twitch in fury.

"…I am not," Ichigo hissed slowly, eyes in slits. "— _emotional!_" With that, he shot forward again, but Shinji reappeared beside him and seized his wrist, pulling him back forcibly. Ichigo looked back to him, eyes wide, almost in angry panic. He started to struggle, snarling. "_Let go! _I have to kill _Aizen!_ I _have to_ and I will_—_"

"Bullshit, Ichigo!" Again, Shinji yanked him back roughly. "If you want to die, do it some other time. I am not here to watch a drama unfold. I am here to _kill _Aizen and to do that, I don't need a slobbering idiot who keeps on hogging fights with his heart peeking out of his sleeve!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to counter.

"_You_," Shinji growled, interrupting the orange-haired, "use your fuckin' pea-sized brain for once, can you? Aizen plays at his enemy's weakness. If you come to him with such bare-naked emotions, you _puny_, he'll easily rip your brains out with just _one hand_. Got it, idiot?"

Ichigo forcefully jerked his wrist free, glaring venomously at Shinji.

"…tch. You're a pain in _my_ pretty ass." Shinji's eyes narrowed more, "Don't let him get to ya. I swear, Ichigo, I'd laugh if you _die _now. He's gonna use Orihime-chan against you." The blonde ignored the _expression_ and the accompanying flinch brought about by _her _name. When Shinji continued, he lowered his voice, almost a cold whisper. "_Your _memories of her. Your… _whatever _it is that you have for her,"

Another look crossed Ichigo's eyes – it was vague, expertly hidden, replaced quickly by a frigid glare.

"If you keep that _emo_ attitude, I suggest you wait like an obedient dude in distress and watch a _real _man fights. This isn't the time for some emo-goth-trip."

Ichigo merely ground his molars, holding back some curses as well as his temper. Eyes, as cold as amber ice, flared. "I'm not keeping a _fucking _'emo' attitude, you _bastard._" He snarled with cold spite.

"Good." Shinji purred. His gaze lazily swung back to Aizen who was examining his amputated arm.

"Such comforting words from you, Hirako-taichou." Aizen said softly, lifting his cool gaze. "As always, you are considerate." Shinji visibly flinched, his grip on his zanpakuto tightening.

Ichigo blinked in confusion, _taichou? _He watched Aizen and Shinji stare at each other with a confused scowl, shoulders slumped, still gripping Zangetsu.

Aizen and Gin stood quietly, calmly.

Shinji and Ichigo stood, eyes narrowed, with deadpanned expressions, but tensed.

"Shall we start?" asked Aizen. Shinji and Ichigo stiffened and readied, faces in grim expressions. A smile tugged at the corner of Aizen's mouth. "…poorly made Arrancars."

:

Ichigo blinked and next thing he knew, Shinji was nowhere to be seen. _Hirako— _there was a clash of metal. _Shit! When did this bastard move?_ Ichigo thought, brows furrowed, lips in a tight line. Shinji locked swords with Aizen. Gin prepared to release, stepping back, pulling back his sword arm.

"Shoot to kill." Shinsho lengthened, aiming at Shinji.

"Damn! Oi, Hirako!" Ichigo yelled, moving forward to help.

:

"Tch."

Aizen's expression didn't change as Shinji's lip curled in a lipless sneer.

"Bastard."

Shinji took off one hand from the hilt and barehanded, captured Shinsho. Gin's eyebrows lifted a little in surprise. Pharaoh mask started to form at the left half of Shinji's face as he glanced at Gin with a malicious sneer. Blood trickled from Shinji's fist, soaking the sleeve of his shirt.

"Don't…" Vizard mask completely covered Shinji's face. "… _fucking intervene."_ Reiatsu burst from Shinji. Shinsho shortened back to its original length, while Aizen simply leaped back, expression neutral.

"This is…" Gold pupils flashed in the depths of black sclera. The warped voice that spoke sounded like two persons talking at once. Shinji lifted his zanpakuto, the tip pointing towards Aizen.

His necktie lifted in the air, suspended there, and then fell down.

"…our reunion."

Hiyori, Lisa, Hachi, Love, Rose, Mashiro and Kensei stiffened, glancing at Shinji, each wearing different expressions. A more crumpled, annoyed look contorted Hiyori's face, her eyes guarded. Kensei's frown deepened as he returned his gaze to Wonderweiss.

Shinji shouldered his zanpakuto. With his bloody hand, he flipped a rude middle finger.

"Let's rock, Aizen!"

:

Ishida Ryuuken appeared thirty minutes later. Tessai had arrived minutes before with fresh clothes for Yoruichi as soon as he felt Kisuke and Yoruichi's spiritual pressures. The doctor stopped in front of the three Urahara Shoten occupants, wearing a mask of indifference.

"She's in danger."

Tessai sobbed in his fists; Yoruichi wasn't pleased. With furrowed brows and head cocked to the side, she snapped. "How blunt."

Ryuuken ignored her. "She needs blood transfusion. What's her blood type?"

"BO." Kisuke answered promptly. Yoruichi arched a brow at him, but the shopkeeper chuckled behind his fan. "Be careful. You're treating a royalty."

Ryuuken looked standoffish as ever as he continued. "I might need to perform a surgery."

"Do everything you can to save her." Yoruichi said sharply, eyes narrowed in distrust.

Kisuke nodded vigorously beside her, his expression expertly masked. "Yup~ do your best. I made a promise to someone. And he hates broken vows. So do your best, Doctor-san!"

:

A captain, who Ichigo cannot remember, with brown curly hair, had stepped in before Gin. Both of them were smiling, however, both of them wore an expression similar to that of a dead man's.

Shinji leaped in the air, and barely dodged a swipe from Kyoka Suigetsu. _Shit._ Ichigo came from behind, slashing at Aizen but the man simply flash-stepped out of the way, aimed another kidou, using the hand that gripped Kyoka Suigetsu by sticking his index out, that forced Ichigo and Shinji to leap back, skidding across the sky, and gritting their teeth.

"Fucker." Shinji hissed. Ichigo did not say anything, watching Aizen quietly with narrowed, violently flashing eyes. Mouth in tight line, Ichigo bent his knees and flew forward. "Damn it!" Shinji cursed and came after the substitute. He tapped his Hollow powers and his speed increased, catching up with Ichigo. Together, they attacked Aizen— who turned out to be another illusion.

"Tch." Ichigo smirked fiercely as Zangetsu tore at the illusion. "This is pathetic. Illusions, Aizen?" He ground his teeth, eyes dark and hard as violent swirl of reiatsu moved around him. "Goddamn it, fight me, _Aizen_!"

There was an amused snort. "Can _you _fight me?"

Ichigo whirled around violently, gritting his teeth.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Orange hair sparked under the sunshine. Brown eyes flashed behind orange locks that fell over his forehead and between his brows. A smirk lifted the corner of Ichigo's mouth. "Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" He lifted Tensa Zangetsu, the blade slashing air. "_Getsuga –_"

"Kyoka Suigetsu."

_Shatter._

Ichigo's eyes widened.

When he blinked, someone was standing in front of him.

_No, no —_

She wasn't standing, _she wasn't standing_.

She was hanging upside down.

:

"ICHIGO!" Shinji yelled, but the boy shakily fell on his knees, eyes pale brown and wide. "The hell— _that's a fucking illusion, you ass! _Don't fall for it— _shit!_"

_Damn it! I'm tired of saving your ass, punk!_

Shinji flash-stepped and blocked the sword that aimed to decapitate the orange-haired. He slashed at Aizen who smoothly leaped back, blocked Shinji's forward sword thrust and roundhouse kick. Another spinning kick was blocked, this time, by Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Asshole." The blonde drawled with a cold smirk as Shinji leaped back. _As expected. The fucker's a superb combatant even though he's missing one arm. Damn it._

"I am impressed, Hirako-taichou."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "_Please_, you should be."

"Hn."

Shinji's smirk turned into a lipless grin. "How about this?" He positioned his sword horizontally. Aizen lifted a brow, half-smiling. "You'll worship me after this."

And with that, Shinji fired a _Cero._

:

Heavy breaths.

Broad shoulders moving up and down.

Orange, damp bangs falling over his eyes.

His shaking knees, legs, arms.

His wide, staring eyes.

.

.

…and breaking,

breaking,

_breaking…_

.

.

"INOUE!"

.

.

Shinji ground his canines together, whipping his head around to look behind him.

"Ichigo!"

:

Rukia had jumped to her feet, ignoring the numbing pain on her injured ankle. "Ichigo –"

"Rukia!"

"What's wrong? What –" Her violet eyes widened. "N-no way… it's…"

Renji pulled her back roughly. "It's _Kyoka Suigetsu_." His face sobered, brows furrowing deeply, apprehensively. "Right now, the battle shifted its battleground. … now, it's in the mind. We… we can't help him fight his nightmares. _You _can't, Rukia."

.

.

_What the fuck? Oi, King! SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU ASS!_

…

_Shit! He can't hear me! That idiot… I knew it! He's a slobbering idiot! Oi, old man, let's –!_

No.

_The fuck –_

Since when did you _worry_ over your Majesty?

_Me? Worried? Don't fuck with my brains! I'm not going to save this idiot's ass! I want to fight that fucker! Do you hear me? Since he's nothing but a slobbering asshole that gets all fucking emotional over a girl who smiles like a freaking crazy supernova, it's time I butt in and make some grand entrance! Come on!_

No.

_You fucking retard – damn it! This stupid rain just can't stop!_

This is a thunderstorm.

_Do I look like I care about the specifics? It's raining. And it's ruining my hair._

.

.

'You said… you'll protect me the next time.'

A pale hand touches his face. It is cold, it makes him shudder.

'You _promised.'_

Her voice is hauntingly soft, and it echoes inside his head.

_Inoue._

'Do you remember?'

"…I'm… I'm… Inoue… I –"

'Save me. _Please._'

Ichigo gulps painfully, his eyes bulging, teeth pressed together.

'Please.'

_She _is hanging upside down, suspended in air, between time and space. A glossy, ghostly, ghastly white apparition in a coil, covered in red and white. Glass-hazel eyes stare straight into his eyes, blank and offer no reflection. Long, coiling hair in a shape of inverted cone drips with thick blood. Blue-violet veins are visible under the paper-white and paper-thin skin.

"I…" He reaches out a hand to her. "I…" There is a small smile on _that face – _so heartbreaking familiar, so heartbreakingly _Inoue _that Ichigo feels his stomach twist and his chest cramping.

He tries again.

"Inoue… I…–"

Suddenly, the apparition turns 360 degrees, and _she_ is standing now. Ichigo recoils back and he watches as red hair uncoils and falls to cover the half of her face. His eyes widen more as _she _glides forward, nearer to him.

One bulging hazel eye rolled once and stares at him. Ichigo's stomach cramps while his teeth grinds together.

'Please.'

He swallows first. "I'm sorry —"

The eye does not change expression, pale lips murmur. '…you disappointed me.'

Ichigo does not cringe, but deep inside, he feels something cracks. He ignores it, however.

'Kurosaki-_kun–' _The hazel eye pops out of its socket with a _pop!_ sound.

Brown eyes fill his blood-splattered face.

Blood pours out from the empty hole, and to his horror, the hole started to spread, growing larger to occupy _her _face.

"Inoue!"

He abandons Zangetsu to the side to grab her shoulders with both of his hands. "No, no, _no…_Please… "

Her lips continue to chant and mouth his name.

'Kurosaki-_kun.'_

'Kurosaki-_kun.'_

'Kurosaki-_kun.'_

'Kurosa_–'_

Then, startling him and sending his heart in a painful thud, a zanpakuto appears and before his eyes, it pierces her chest from her back, going through her fragile body. Blood bursts and hit his cheeks.

"No, no, _no! Inoue! Inoue, you can't – don't, don't –"_

'Ku… ro… saki-_kuuuuun –'_

Her lips, her mouth, her skin – all of her starts to dissolve into puddles and _puddles of_ blood that float, suspended in air.

"No, you _can't –_I'm sorry! Don't leave –" His voice starts to rise in increments. Panic and despair seize his chest.

'Kurosaki-_kuuuuun –'_

"You _can't _– die, no, no, no, _no –_"

And then, there is another voice. A scathing voice he knew _so _well, a scathing voice he hated, a scathing voice he –

…

…

_DAMN IT, YOU PUNK ASS MORON! WAKE THE HELL UP, KING OR ELSE I'LL SKEWER YOUR BRAINS OUT!_

.

.

Deep, brown eyes blinked.

"What the –" Ichigo repeatedly blink. He looked down to his hands.

_Inoue… _His tongue felt strangely thick and heavy. _She calls me – _a searing pain attacked the side of his head, and he stumbled sideward. "The fuck—" His brows snapped together, his sword-less hand grabbing the side of his throbbing head.

"…Hirako?"

The blonde sneered at him, the half of his Vizard mask crumbling to reveal his face and his golden eye. "…did you have a good dream?"

The orange-haired flinched, remembering the gray eye, the empty hole, her glass-like stare. He swallowed, and it was difficult – his saliva was disgustingly thick and it scraped against his throat. With difficulty, he tried to erase the memories of her; however, the scene of Orihime being pierced through the chest by Aizen's zanpakuto replayed inside his mind like an old movie, mocking him. Biting his lip, so hard he almost cut it – Ichigo shifted his hand to his forehead and raised his chin to look up. Aizen was sporting a diagonal slash across his chest and he looked exhausted, yet still calm.

Ichigo's frown deepened. _How long was I out?_

Shinji pulled back his zanpakuto. "This will be over in seconds."

"Hirako –"

Pharaoh mask formed again and covered his face.

"_Don't _intervene."

"Wait!" Ichigo tried to stand but his knees buckled under him and again, he fell on his knees. "Shit!" Finally, exhaustion caught up, his body crumbling due to his many, grievous injuries. He looked up again, "Hirako!" he shouted. _Damn it! I've got to help! I have to! _He tried again, his legs were shaking but he managed to stand albeit trembling –

'You _promised_.'

His whole body cringed, and again, his mind was filled with _her_.

Tears rolling down her cheeks as she smiled. Bleeding. Smiling. Tired. Hair twirling in the air, around her, behind her. Glittering hairpins. A smiling sunshine. Delicate. A piece of solid sunlight. Thin fingers. Full, wide mouth. A voice that can melt glaciers. Large eyes. Beautiful eyes. Hopeful eyes. Tired eyes. Bright eyes. Smiling eyes.

Ichigo gritted his teeth at every memory – _dead eyes._

His whole body jerked, and Ichigo cringed. _Damn it!_

For him to fall for a sick illusion was pathetic. _Aizen, you bastard! _There was a blast of _Cero _from Shinji, catching Ichigo's attention. Smoke rose as Hadou countered _Cero _but the Vizard dove into the smoke headfirst and when Shinji came out, he had his fist on Aizen's collar. With a mighty hurl, he threw Aizen out of the smoke, followed by another _Cero_ which was block by Level 90 Hadou- Kurohitsugi.

But Aizen was not fast enough.

:

Aizen tumbled back, and in the process of blocking the _Cero_, he had lost his zanpakuto. Shinji appeared in front of the ex-captain in a fast blur. He grabbed the front of Aizen's white outfit. Without any hints of hesitation, Shinji pulled back his sword and –

"Please, _stop!_" A female voice screamed.

–thrust his zanpakuto through Aizen's chest, rotated it once –

"Aizen-t-taichou!"

—_twice, thrice– _before cutting across from Aizen's pectoral to his armpit.

"_NO_!" The same voice screamed again as blood burst in massive amounts, splattering Shinji's Vizard-masked face with deep, red liquid.

Ichigo watched with stunned disbelief, clutching Zangetsu. Standing in midair, shinigami and vizards alike watched the scene with different expressions. Some with obvious winces, some were unreadable, most were stunned. The Vizards were among those with unfathomable expressions. Truth be told, there was some kind of solemnity radiating off their faces. It was not cold-blooded and savage satisfaction at seeing the culprit behind their misfortune and exile from the place they called home almost in bloodied mess. It was nothing but strange solemnity, strange calmness. Even Hiyori who was the most vocal of her hatred towards Aizen was quiet, her face oddly blank, grave.

It was silent, as the spectators watched in trepidation and weariness, silently hopeful that the war was approaching its end.

Then, the silence that was hanging by a thread was broken as another shrill cry tore the space above Karakura.

:

"Aizen-_taichou! _AIZEN-TAICHOU!"

With a heavy expression, Toshiro looked away from watching Hinamori who trashed against Kira's restraints as she screamed – _begged – _for Aizen's life.

"Hinamori-kun! Please, stop!"

Her eyes were big and the dark purple bruises under her eyes became more prominent. "No, no, NO! Please, stop! Don't, don't, don't – he can be _saved! _Aizen-_taichou!_ Please, _please –" _Her eyes frantically searched the skies for a white-haired captain. "Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan…"

Toshiro cringed.

"– save him, _save him!_"

"Hinamori-kun, _stop it_!" Kira tightened his hold, effectively trapping her, but she struggled with viciousness that it started to hurt Kira.

On her back, lying on the floor, Matsumoto opened her eyes blearily, her face ashen.

Hinamori's struggles froze as the Vizard in Pharaoh mask lifted his katana beside him, at shoulder level. She could not see Aizen's expression, blocked by Shinji's back. Her eyes almost popped out in mad horror. "No… no… _please, please –"_

:

His mask crumbled and slowly, it fell away in pieces.

There was a grin. A grin like no other, a grin Shinji never wore before. His eyes were shadowed by his hair that fell over his forehead.

"You know what makes you dangerous, Aizen?" He began conversationally. "It is _your _head. It's not your flashy kidou. It's not your flashy zanpakuto. It _is_ _your _head – you are awfully good with your head. And if I want to live the remaining 5,000 more beautiful, pimple-free, frizzle-free, dandruff-free years of my life," the grin widened. "I have to make sure _you _will not be able to use _that _head of yours."

Shinji's grips on Aizen's collar and on his zanpakuto tightened.

"I never liked you, Aizen-_kun_."

Aizen remained quiet, expression unseen, unreadable.

"…And that's why," Shinji lifted his chin, revealing his bulging golden eyes; the blacks of his sclera had started to recede, returning to white. "I _will not _hesitate to cut you down into pieces!"

It happened fast. Quick, like a lightning.

And then, there was a high-pitched scream.

:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Toshiro looked away as the blonde stranger who came to help decapitate Aizen in one slice. However, he was unable to cut off the shrill scream from Hinamori. Soul reapers watched with stunned disbelief, and more surprise as the blonde Vizard proceeded.

Lisa, Love and Rose watched with carefully blank expressions as Shinji thrust a hand through Aizen's chest, rummaged around roughly that produced thick globs of blood pouring out of the body. Hiyori and Kensei (who finished his fight minutes _ago_) wore crumpled expressions; however, their eyes looked different, guarded. Shinji continued delving his hand inside Aizen's chest, and then seconds later, he pulled out _something. _Carelessly, Shinji dropped the body, pocketed the item, and casually, he flash-stepped to seize the decapitated head by the hair.

"H-h-how… c-c-could y-you! How… Aizen-taichou, Aizen-_taichou!_"

"That's enough… Hinamori-kun." Kira said quietly, looking down at the limp vice-captain who wept in agony.

All of Vizards flash-stepped and rematerialized around Shinji; Kensei was carrying Mashiro over his broad shoulder. There was no after-killing talk; they just surrounded him, silently regarding him with grave expressions. The blonde Vizard grinned, gums and teeth, shrugged, and looked around, his eyes falling on the orange-haired substitute.

"Heh."

The frown on the substitute's eyes deepened.

In eight flashes, the eight Vizards appeared before the half-shinigami, half-hollow, Vizard and _full-bloodied _human.

"Hirako." He was carefully keeping his eyes off the head Shinji held on his hand.

"Impressed?" the blonde sneered.

Ichigo snorted.

"It wasn't enough, ya know." Shinji was looking down to the decapitated head with a pensive expression. "Cutting off his head was not good enough. I wanna dice him into pieces – into tiny _microscopic _pieces that I would not be able to identify the differences between him and a maggot_._" Shinji had smiled while in the middle of his sentence. It made Ichigo's frown seem to deepen. "Anyway, our job's done, no?" Casually, _so casually_, Shinji cracked his neck. "See ya around, Ichigo." The Vizards all turned to go, but stopped as blurs surrounded them.

"What –" Hiyori began.

"…the fuck?" Kensei growled.

_Hmph._ Shinji snorted. _Bitches. _It was the Secret Ops.

"What now, ninja-wannabes?" Shinji drawled, eyes half-lidded, already bored. Another set of blurs appeared: a female captain and her lieutenant. Shinji's eyes focused past the black-clothed figures.

The Vizard snorted. "Old fart."

Beside the calm, old man was his lieutenant. Somewhere, Kyoraku was smiling at Gin, who kept his foxy grin despite the fact that his superior had been killed. Komamura and Hisagi surrounded Tousen, who tried to help Aizen but failed.

"What do you want?" There was no reply. "Nada? Then, quit wasting our time." They moved to leave but Soi fon snapped.

"Show some respect!"

"Uh _please, _miss little captain. Don't act smart if you want to keep your other arm."

Soi fon twitched.

"We butt in when we want, we butt out when we want. Besides, we got what we want. Aizen's head on a silver platter." He lifted the head with a wide grin. "Ops. I forgot the silver platter." Shinji added as the second division captain cringed. With a casual toss, he nodded upwards. "I don't care about his pathetic lapdogs. So, we're butting out."

"Wait –"

"Leave them be." Yamamoto's voice resounded, and the air carried it to Soi fon and the group of Vizards.

"But Soutaichou –" The Commander-General offered no more words, ending the conversation. Soi fon watched the Vizards disappear with immense displeasure.

"Soutaichou." Sasakibe turned to his captain.

"Hmm." Yamamoto's eyes briefly opened, moved and closed again.

:

"Hey."

Rukia looked up, watching the orange-haired stopped before them. "Ichigo."

He nodded at Rukia, and then looked around Chad. "Chad?" The gentle giant flashed a thumb's up sign. Before Ichigo could transfer his gaze to Ishida, the dark-haired Quincy already had a retort in hand.

"Don't look at me. It's disturbing."

Ichigo sneered. "Bastard." He looked back to Renji and Rukia. "Listen, I got to go. I'm leaving."

"What? Are you crazy? You need help, moron. You're bleeding like crazy!" Renji argued.

"I don't care." Ichigo straightened up to his full height, his eyes guarded. "I've got to see Inoue." Rukia frowned a little at the indistinct crack in Ichigo's tone as he mentioned the auburn-haired girl's name.

Rukia lowered her lashes as her violet eyes softened.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "I'll see you later, guys."

"We're coming with you." Ishida said. Chad nodded.

"Yeah. You two, come with me." _I don't want to leave these two here, surrounded by Soul Society bastards._

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

The three humans froze. Slowly, Ichigo turned his head around and met Yamamoto's squinted stare. A muscle clenched on his jaw, his brown eyes darkening. "I have nothing to say to _you_." He hissed between gritted teeth. "But to all _of you._"

Renji and Rukia turned attentive looks at Ichigo.

"Stay the fuck away from Inoue."

Rukia's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but Renji's hand on her shoulder gripped her skin, silently telling her to keep quiet.

"I don't give a damn about what you've got to say about her, but stay the hell away from Inoue." Ichigo's flashing glare shifted to meet Toshiro's placid stare. "Even you, Toshiro."

The young captain's expression remained _carefully _neutral, but Ishida knew it was _forced _neutrality.

Soi fon stepped forward with a heavy frown. "You don't make –"

"Shut up. She's my friend and I won't let you treat her like shit. I don't have to convince you. But _damn it, _stay the fuck away from her, from my friends." Ichigo turned away sharply. "Renji, Rukia. You can visit us. I'm sure, Inoue would want to see both of you. "

"Ichigo."

The three humans turned to the voice. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, his brows furrowing deeply. "Yoruichi-san."

The woman nodded, arms crossed under her breasts. "I'll take you to her." She turned her back without acknowledging the other presences. "Let's go,"

* * *

**title. **to make everything alright**  
summary.** Ichigo gritted his teeth at every memory – _dead eyes._  
**note.** thank you so much for your reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you! kiss, kiss.**  
disclaimer.** applied.**  
warning.** mistakes, spelling, grammar.


	9. to watch a withering flower

His chin tipped backward. Beside him, Tessai turned his head in question but Kisuke merely snapped his fan open with an amused giggle.

"They're here."

As if on cue, several feet thundered down the hall.

:

"Oho!" Kisuke spread his arms to the side, an exaggerated grin filling his face. "Here they are! Kurosaki-san, Ishida-san, Sado-san. So glad, so very glad to—"

"Cut the crap. Where's Inoue?" Ichigo snapped as soon as he arrived in front of the eccentric shopkeeper. Kisuke faked a pout, but quickly dropped the charade at Yoruichi's sharp glare. Shadowed eyes discreetly studied the new arrivals, each sporting a tired, bloody appearance. Kurosaki Ichigo was probably the worst. Blood trickled from his hairline to his eye, cheek and chin. The corner of his scowling mouth was ruptured. His bottom lip was cut and bleeding profusely. Scrapes decorated his left check, while an asymmetrical cut ran across his right cheek and another across his chest. Bruises started to form and congregate all over the substitute's face, neck and most probably, all over his body. Bloodstains blotted most of his face. It was a _miracle _that his hakama managed to hold itself together for modesty's sake and another _miracle_ that the boy had not collapsed _yet _in a bloody heap due to many grievous injuries his body sustained.

_Truly. What an astonishing durability, Kurosaki-san._

Despite his heaving chest and shoulders, bloody and bruised face, Ichigo managed to look intimidating with his deep scowl. "Aren't you going to answer?" He snapped, irritated when Kisuke did not reply. "You told me you'll –"

Kisuke breathed a sight of relief as the sound of sliding doors opening interrupted the beginning of a curse-filled rant. Even footsteps approached them. Kisuke turned to glance behind him.

Beside and slightly behind Ichigo, Ishida stiffened and slowly, a glower formed on his face.

Ichigo's frown deepened, _he can see me?_ He mused, a bit irritated under the cold, critical appraisal from the tall, intelligent-looking newcomer in glasses, dressed in blue scrubs.

_Who is he?_

Ishida Ryuuken removed his sharp evaluation from the orange-haired substitute to meet his son's direct, questioning glare. Placid as ever, the elder Ishida tilted his chin and scrutinized his son underneath his lashes. "I thought you vowed not to help a shinigami."

Ishida Uryuu met his father's eyes steadily. "Inoue-san is _not _a shinigami."

"Hn."

"How is she?" Ichigo interrupted, stepping forward between the two glaring Ishidas. "Inoue." He clarified as the older man looked at him blankly. "Is she –"

"She lost almost 700ml of blood and her reiatsu is depleted. It will take time for her body to fully recover, as well, as her reiatsu."

Ichigo scowled heavily. "It means she's okay, right?" He needed to be sure.

The older man looked at him. "What did I just say?"

Ichigo bristled visibly. "You fucking talked big! All I need to know and hear is that she's _okay!_ Plain and simple! You don't need to talk big!" The man simply stared at him, face in neutral. It was infuriating how this pale-haired man looked at him.

"You are like your father."

The orange-haired boy jerked, surprised. "Eh?"

Ryuuken tugged at the collar of his scrubs, still wearing his passive expression. "Exceptionally dull."

"SAY WHAT?"

"Ichigo." Chad placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, keeping Ichigo in place as the boy tried to lunge, veins popping in his temples, his jaw muscles popping.

"Don't compare me to that – what the hell! You know my –"

"Can we see her?" Chad asked calmly, still holding back the pissed orange head. At his question, Ichigo instantly calmed, glancing at the doctor.

"No."

Ichigo's eyes widened, and then, narrowed, his face darkening. "Why the hell not?"

"Because I say so."

The vein in his temple popped and exploded. "Who the fuck –"

"My time had been wasted enough." As he stated this, Ryuuken was looking at Kisuke. Without a nod, he walked away, a nurse appearing at his side.

"…the fuck. Who the hell does he think he is? He's pissing me off. He talked shit, just like Ishida." Ichigo groused, irritated. Ishida cleared his throat, while Kisuke chuckled. Yoruichi looked amused. With a darker scowl, Ichigo looked up at Kisuke's chuckle. "What?" he growled.

"That's because he's _Ishida _Ryuuken." Kisuke replied cheerfully.

Ichigo arched a brow, his expression obliviously neutral.

"He's my father, Kurosaki." Ishida simplified coolly.

The substitute looked surprised at first, his eyebrows lowered, his bleeding lip curled and then, he snorted. "Figures. Both of you are prissy."

Ishida chose to ignore this, though, there was a vein pulsing in his temple. "Urahara-san, is Inoue-san really alright? Her reiatsu…" Ishida narrowed his eyes, trying to sense the girl's presence. "It's very faint. I'm having trouble sensing her properly."

"Are you kidding me?" snapped Ichigo with a frown of disbelief. "You always brag about this reiatsu-censor shit you have in your head and you tell me you can't sense Inoue? She's so easy to feel! I feel her as if she's standing right beside me!"

They stared at him in silence, brows raised.

Ichigo arched a brow, his frown deepening. "What's with that stare? Even you, Chad!"

Ishida shook his head once and promptly pushed up his glasses. "You're stupid as usual."

"I absolutely hate you." Ichigo sneered.

"The feeling is mutual."

Before Ichigo could retort something _witty, _Kisuke intervened. "Oh well, what happened up there? I chose to stay by the princess' side to protect her from dragons," Ichigo was looking at him sourly, unimpressed. Kisuke ignored him, continuing. "How was the Grand Finale?"

The three sobered, averting their gazes.

Kisuke understood. "It wasn't pretty, was it?"

Ichigo shrugged, while Chad and Ishida remained silent.

"By the way," Ishida said after a second of awkward silence. "How about the pillars, Urahara-san?"

Kisuke waved his fan. "Oho, don't worry about them, Ishida-san. The ruins can only be seen by people who are exceptionally spiritually aware. I'll clean them up later." The shopkeeper glanced discreetly at the ER door, his face taut, unreadable, then back to his companions.

Ichigo turned his head, watching Kisuke carefully, suspiciously.

"Hey."

Yoruichi lowered her lashes, her gaze fixed on the boy.

"Is there something you want to say to us?"

The corner of Yoruichi's mouth twitched in amusement as a flicker of genuine surprise crossed Kisuke's face. It was quickly replaced by an overly exaggerated wide smile. "Why? Is there something I _must_ share with Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo looked unconvinced, his eyes narrowed in distrust.

"How about _you_, Kurosaki-san?" The corner of Kisuke's mouth lifted in a knowing, small smile. "Is there _something_ you want to share with us?"

Ishida narrowed his eyes, averting his gaze, while Ichigo ground his molars, jaw muscles grinding, and eyes hard as he recalled the incident atop the dome.

_Interesting~ _Kisuke mused, watching the teen's anxious, but hard, expression. "Anyway, where's Hirako-san?" he asked instead to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

Ichigo looked away with a grunt. "He left as soon as he…" He shrugged, hefting his sword and placing it on his back. "I'm sure he'll get in touch with you. I think he managed to get something out of Aizen's body. I'm not sure what, though."

Hidden by the shadow provided by the brim of his hat, Kisuke's eyes darkened in understanding.

_Hmm…_

"Well," he snapped his fan shut, his previous expression replaced by a cheery façade. "Everyone must be very tired! Why don't you all get rest, have good food and get treated by modest Tessai-san?" Tessai sparkled in the background, rubbing his palms together. "I shall look after Inoue-chan –"

"No!" Ichigo snapped with unnecessary force. "I'm fine! I'll stay –"

"Kurosaki-san, I understand that you want to see her and see it for yourself that she is indeed alright. But first, regain your strength. Your body is in my shop and well-taken care of."

A sudden realization made Ichigo twist around to look at Kisuke properly, eyes wide. "Wait. Urahara-san, how about my –"

Kisuke smiled, "worry not, Kurosaki-san. Inoue-chan's ability is flawless. Your family and friends are safe."

It felt like a massive weight was lifted off his chest. "…good." He muttered quietly, looking down, his expression unreadable. Ichigo sighed deeply, running a hand over his thick, messy hair. The bright locks sprang forward, back to his scraped forehead and over his amber eyes. "That's good."

Yoruichi pushed herself off the wall. "You three, get some rest. _I _will look after Inoue."

Kisuke pouted, "But Yoruichi-saaaan~"

"_I _will look after Inoue." She repeated, purring, her eyes glinting. She looked at Ichigo. "You, don't push yourself. It's a wonder how you haven't fainted. You looked pathetic."

"I'm _not!_ It doesn't hurt anymore! I can look after –"

"Oh wow, you developed astonishing resilience, Kurosaki-san!" Kisuke cheered.

"Resi… what?"

"Nothing~" whistled the shopkeeper.

"I hate it when people talk big and when I ask, they say nothing." Ichigo griped irately.

"Blame your _tiny _brain." Ishida said.

"You –"

"And," Yoruichi cut in, her nose wrinkled. "You smell."

Ichigo grimaced. "I… I… _what?_ I'm…" He spluttered, flushed.

_I do?_

His forehead creased as he wrinkled his nose.

"Ichigo!"

Curious, they all turned to the voice.

Ichigo's eyes widened, recognizing the figure that was running in full speed towards them.

"T… Tatsuki?"

:

His childhood friend stopped in front of him, breathless, bending over. She was wearing their school uniform with yellow long-sleeved sweater. When she looked up, locking eyes with him, Ichigo was surprised.

_She… She can see me?_

Tatsuki wasn't kidding when she said she had seen him in his shinigami form. Ishida and Chad also looked stunned behind him. Curling his hands into fists, Ichigo dared to meet Tatsuki's eyes unblinkingly. The lines of his face and jaw were hard, but his eyes were solemn. Ruptured lips were in tight line.

"Ichigo."

He stiffened and nodded slowly. "Yeah." He saw her eyes flick over his shoulder to the door of the Emergency Room. A look of deep relief crossed her eyes, relaxing her face, making her features more feminine. Ichigo concluded that Tatsuki had sensed Orihime's presence despite its weakness. He saw how her body sagged, eyes fluttering shut.

"Tatsuki? Hey, what –"

"You brought her back."

Ichigo blinked and let the words sank in. He lowered his gaze as his head dropped to his chin.

"I tried." He answered quietly. There was a feeling inside him. Something he could not comprehend. It was weird. It was tender that he felt unnecessarily sore inside.

His fists curled and uncurled.

He inhaled and exhaled, and waited for the crushing feeling to pass, so that he can breathe again.

"Thank you."

His eyes snapped open, head jerking back to look at his childhood friend. Ichigo was speechless, although he wanted to say something back.

The softness vanished from Tatsuki's face, but her eyes remained somber. "You brought her back. I don't care how you did it, but thank you."

"I…"

_She bled. _Ichigo wanted to say. _She fucking bled and I –_

Tatsuki walked past him. Ichigo turned around, still wide-eyed. "Wait –" A hand clamped hard on his shoulder. The orange-haired looked up. "…what the –" He was met by a face adorned with a pair of dark-glasses.

"S-shit…!" Next thing he knew, he was being lifted up, a massive arm going around his neck. "The fuck! Hey! Let go!" Beside him, Ishida, who was captured as well, struggled. Chad was spared from Tessai's grip as the tall teenager obediently followed Kisuke as they walked out of the hallway and to the lobby, finally reaching the parking lot.

"I can walk! Let go! LET GO!" Ichigo yelled, flailing his arms and hitting Ishida across the face in the process.

"Omph!"

"I SAID LET GO!"

"How noisy." Kisuke giggled behind his fan.

Without hesitation, Tessai banged Ichigo and Ishida's head together.

:

The first nurse he asked had given him a critical look, openly criticizing his orange hair, his bandaged forehead, the bruises on his face, a couple of band aids that practically covered half of his cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes and his trademark scowl. He knew from the look the middle-aged nurse had on her face, she already decided that he was a no-good punk.

Automatically, his scowl deepened and the woman wrinkled her nose in distaste.

She was about to say something, maybe something sharp, but an elderly woman, the head nurse, he presumed, stepped in and took the clipboard from her hands.

"Inoue Orihime?"

Ichigo nodded, lowering his brows.

"Please, wait for a sec." The elderly nurse smiled maternally as she looked down to her clipboard, tracing the length of the paper. "Room 283."

"Yeah. Um," He paused awkwardly. The elderly woman smiled. "Thank… you." Ichigo gave a brisk bow of his head before leaving the 5th floor's nurse station, pushing his hands inside his pockets as he walked on. The hallway smelled of antiseptic and some bleaching chemical. Some doors were opened and few nurses walked back and forth quietly. The room 283 was at the left wing, third to the last door. He was approximately fifteen feet away but he can feel her gentle reiatsu. Ishida once said that he found Inoue as one of the most difficult individuals to sense, but Ichigo burst his bubble by saying that she was the easiest. The Quincy merely arched a brow and even without saying anything and with just a mere lift of that brow, Ishida managed to irritate the hell out of him.

_Smartass._

He reached the door marked with "283". Absent-mindedly, he stared blankly at the numbers.

He stood there, tall and awkward, with sounds of gentle shuffles of nurses' feet, gentle tinkling of chimes, and soft whispers.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

_What am I so nervous for?_

Most likely, she was asleep. According to Tatsuki, Orihime hadn't woken up since the day she was admitted in this hospital, which was almost a week ago.

With a deep frown, Ichigo reached down and grasped the knob. He was about to turn it but he abruptly froze, and he cursed himself as he wondered what was wrong with him. This would be the first time he'd see her. Tessai and Kisuke, seeing his agitation, finally allowed him to go. He didn't notice, but he had run all the way up here from Shoten, and when he reached the main entrance, he was panting raggedly, attracting stares. He had used the stairs as he ran all the way up to the fifth floor.

Ichigo heaved a deep sigh.

_Why am I nervous?_

His molars ground together as he cursed again.

With a shake of his head, he rotated the knob and quietly pushed the door open.

He was met by silence – which was not surprising – gentle _drip-drip _sounds of IV, and dull ticking from a round, white wall clock. With tentative steps, he stepped further inside, closing the door behind him, wishing that the sound of it would somehow startle the patient. The room was bare, except for the vase of flowers – cosmos, lilies, tulips, and roses. Odd combinations, he mused absent-mindedly. As he stepped closer to the bed, shoulders slouched, forehead in a relaxed frown, hands on either side, he first saw her bright hair, a sharp contrast to the pale linen of her pillow and blanket.

Frown deepening, he moved closer, his thigh touching the bed.

Orihime looked smaller from what he remembered as she lay there on her bed, motionless. It was weird seeing her immobile, for she was the epitome of life and colors. She looked dead, and the only indication of her being alive was the subtle movement of her chest as she breathed. Her face was paper-white, and luckily, it was free from band aids or gauzes. Her arms, situated on top of her blanket and at her either side, were also bandage-free. Long, thick auburn locks spread under her head; some were on her shoulders and chest. Bangs covered her forehead and a lock stuck to her left cheek.

The silence was deafening. Weird. It was never silent when you were in her presence. And her cheeks were not supposed to be _that_ pale. She was as pale as marble and –

_She bled._

He shut his eyes.

_She fucking bled. She fucking bled like crazy. And I—_

The door opened, his eyes snapped open and a female nurse came in. She gave him a polite bow while he stepped away from the bed. The nurse timed the patient's pulse, took blood pressure and checked the IV. When she was finished, she gave another bow and left as quietly as she came.

:

From a top view, we see the boy stepping closer to the bed. He watched her for a while before sinking to a white, plastic chair.

Shallow, soft breathing.

Quick drops of liquid.

The boy had not shifted. The patient remained motionless.

Outside, the sun began to set.

:

The fifteenth day, he and Tatsuki ran into each other.

It was the first time they had seen each other since he got back from the war. She was leaving, while he just arrived. They met at the doorway, Tatsuki was inside the room's threshold; he was standing in the hallway.

"Oi."

"Yeah." He gave a curt nod.

"You're up and about, huh?"

He didn't reply.

Tatsuki looked at him, he didn't drop his gaze. "I'm leaving."

With that, she started to walk past him, but she paused when they were shoulder to shoulder. Tatsuki opened her mouth to say something, but she shook her head and left.

:

The nurses assigned in the fifth floor started to talk. It went like this: there is a tall, lean, orange-haired boy who appears with constant regularity. He always wears a frown, and he looks as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulder. He never smiles, but he always comes. He never says anything, but he is always on time.

They only stopped talking when it was three o'clock in the afternoon.

The elevator gave a soft _ding._ The doors parted and a lean leg swung forward and an orange head appeared.

_There he goes again._

:

Ichigo didn't know, but Ishida and Chad went back to school two weeks ago.

The twenty fifth day, they ran into each other.

He was leaving, while they just arrived. They met at the doorway. Ichigo was inside the room's threshold, they were in the hallway.

"Kurosaki."

Chad flashed a thumb's up sign.

"Oi." He returned.

As he walked away, Ishida said, "I won't let you copy my notes, Kurosaki."

Ichigo had stopped.

"But I'd let you copy mine." Chad said. Ishida snorted.

"Sado-kun, I doubt he'd be able to read your chicken scrawl."

Ichigo smirked.

"…really?"

:

The twenty seventh day, he dared to touch her face.

:

Why, he didn't know.

Maybe he wanted something to remember.

He wanted to touch her cheek, or maybe thumb a few locks of red hair.

Thus, he reached down, but when his fingers were about to touch her pale skin, his hand froze. However, his gaze was unwavering and unreadable. His hand turned. Slowly, he brushed her cheek with his knuckles.

There was a spark, a static, which he ignored, but will remember.

He stroked once, his knuckles _so _very carefully moved down to the skin of her jaw, anxious that if he pressed closer, she'd crumble or disappear.

His touch lingered there the longest.

His face remained neutral – and Rukia, if she was watching this, will think, _that's forced neutrality._

There was a sigh.

And like before, the silence was deafening. Weird, because when she's around, it was never quiet. She was color and sound personified.

But he thought, _I'd tolerate this silence for a while._ He'd tolerate her lifelessness only to study her face.

He didn't know how long he was standing there, touching her face. He lifted his knuckles off her jaw, his hand turned, palm down, hovering above the sleeping patient's face, and he realized how small her face was as his hand obscured the half of her face. The hand moved as though to touch the sleeping face, but it hesitated.

_Drip._

Amber eyes blinked.

The scowl deepened, and there was another sigh. Briefly, the eyes closed, the suspended hand moved and shoved itself inside a jean pocket, and the boy pulled himself up to his full height.

:

From a top view, we see a boy, watching a girl. Standing, quiet, tall, and awkward.

Shallow, soft breathing.

Quick drops of liquid.

The boy had not shifted. The patient remained motionless.

Outside, the sun began to set.

Back in the room, the boy was gone.

:

Two days later, Ichigo and Tatsuki ran into each other again.

This time, Tatsuki found him inside the room, sitting on the plastic, white chair, his eyes closed, and a relaxed frown on his face. His bandage was gone, but a band aid remained on his jaw. She stood at the other side of the bed, beside the bedside table, facing the orange-haired. She dropped her bag to the floor. It made a sound and Ichigo opened his eyes.

"She's so lazy, isn't she?" She said, starting a conversation. Ichigo was content with the silence, however. "By the way," the martial artist bent down and rummaged inside her bag. She straightened up and placed a one-inch tall of stack of papers on the bedside table, beside the vase now filled with yellow lilies. Ichigo's frown deepened as he looked inquiringly at Tatsuki.

"Homework, idiot." Tatsuki answered his silent query. A vein pulsed in his temple at the last word, and Tatsuki was glad to see it.

"Start tonight. End of the term exams are near. You can't afford to stay freshman for the rest of your life, can ya?"

Ichigo snorted and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Don't insult my intelligence."

Tatsuki arched a brow. "Intelligence, huh?" Ichigo was about to retort but Tatsuki looked at the patient and said, "she must be really tired."

"Tatsuki."

"But she's back. That's what matters."

"… I," from the corner of her eye, she saw his frown faltered. "I wasn't able to protect her properly. If I did, she would not—"

"Why are you here, Ichigo?" Tatsuki interrupted, looking at Ichigo now, who looked confused and agitated at the same time. "Why do you visit her everyday?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is it to quell your guilt?"

"No!" Ichigo jumped to his feet, anger evident in his eyes and it hardened the lines of his face. Tatsuki, however, was unfazed. "I…" His jaw moved. "I have to make sure." He said carefully, eyes guarded. "I _need _to be sure that she is _here_."

Tatsuki arched a brow at that. She didn't expect that answer, and still surprised, she looked back to the patient. "You should go back to school." She said after a few seconds.

"…"

"A month has passed, Ichigo. You should go back to school. We can take turns in watching over her."

Ichigo moved closer to the bed and mirrored Tatsuki, observing the patient. "Aren't you going to ask where we went, where _she_ went?"

"No." Tatsuki replied, still looking at her best friend's white face. Slowly, she turned her head to look up to Ichigo who watched the sleeping girl with intense but tired eyes. "You _are _going to tell me."

She exhaled and continued.

"When you are ready, when she is ready, you tell me."

Tatsuki looked away, lifted her bag and walked to the door. "But," she didn't look back as she opened the door.

Silence fell between them comfortably, like a passing wind.

"…You really have to go back to school."

:

That day, when Ichigo stepped out the house after sending his father to a wall, right next to the life size portrait of his mother, it was snowing lightly. He watched the snowdrops with a frown. Was it been a month since he – and they – got back from the war? It was September when he and his friends invaded Hueco Mundo and rescued Orihime, and now, it was snowing? Time sure flew fast.

His frown deepened and he felt a headache coming on.

He was reminded of the fact that Orihime remained unconscious, despite her stable vitals signs.

_What's wrong with her?_

Her vitals were stable, indeed, but Kisuke argued that the sleeping girl was still in the process of restoring her own depleted reiatsu. He said that though her physical body was recuperating well, her reiatsu remained inadequate to hold her 'soul' together. 'Rejecting' Karakura and its inhabitants' fate had strained and exhausted her 'soul'.

"_In short," Kisuke added, as though he was talking to kindergartens, "She's very, very, very, very tired."_

Ichigo exhaled sharply.

"Onii-chan! We're in the middle of December! It's starting to snow! Don't forget your coat and scarf!" Yuzu called after him.

_December? _He mused, _two months… _

And still, she was sleeping.

He blinked and nodded, "Yeah…" Absent-mindedly, he wore his school jacket over his yellow sweater, donned his black coat with green trimmings on the zipper area, and wrapped his knitted, thick scarf with diamond patterns around his neck. He didn't zip up his coat.

"And your gloves, too!"

Ichigo nodded, waving a hand. "Later, Yuzu, Karin." He met Chad on his way while donning his red gloves. The taller teenager, clad in light brown coat and purple-blue scarf, nodded as a greeting and Ichigo nodded back, putting on his headphones. From a corner, Ishida appeared in neat green jacket, plain white scarf and gloves.

"Sado-kun."

Chad nodded, while Ichigo snorted. "Tch. Go on. Pretend you're blind."

The Quincy merely gave him a cool look and walked off. Ichigo looked up to Chad. "I hate assholes."

Chad flashed a thumb's up sign.

Ichigo smirked.

:

The first day he got back to school, it was weird.

And weirder when he didn't receive a soft, but cheerful—

"I MISS YOU, IIIII – CHIIIII – GOOOOO!"

But some things never changed.

Ichigo raised his fist and Kiego let out a yell before crashing to the ground.

"Sup,"

As he walked to his desk, he _carefully _kept his eyes on his destination.

…_Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!_

Scowling heavily, he let out a strangled growl, slammed his elbow on his desk, startling a few students and attracting Ishida and Chad's attention. Ignoring the curious gazes, he pushed his palm to his chin, determinedly keeping his face turned to the side, eyes hooded, refusing to glance towards the direction of the windows.

:

"It was your father?"

Tatsuki exclaimed, not asked, when Ishida told her about Inoue's physician. Ichigo glared, but didn't say anything as he stared off to the distance, sipping his apple juice. It was lunch, and it was mildly snowing outside. Gathering at the rooftop was not an option.

"He's good, isn't he?" Tatsuki continued. Ishida said yes. "But Orihime hasn't woken up yet. She's unconscious for… what? Almost two months! Is that okay?"

"Inoue-san sustained physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. She needs rest."

"But –"

"Stop worrying." Ichigo cut in as he stood up. "She's just tired."

Tatsuki, Chad, and Ishida stared at his back.

_Something changed._

Tatsuki opened her mouth, but Chad caught her eye and he shook his head. The girl exhaled and looked away, frowning.

:

Two days after Christmas, the weather became increasingly chiller.

Headphones around his neck, Ichigo continued to trudge down a pavement, scowling heavily, his coat zipped. He tucked his bag under his arm, eyes downcast and hooded, the bags under his eyes were still present but weren't as dark as before. Lost in his thoughts – tangling, tumbling, and echoing thoughts that he could not separate from each other in order for him to comprehend them – he heard a familiar voice.

"Ichigo."

"…?" The orange-haired substitute lifted his head, a scowl still etched on his face. His eyes widened slightly in recognition.

A petite, dark-haired shinigami stood before him.

"…Rukia."

The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. Ichigo approached her closer.

"What are you doing here?" He frowned, tilting his head to the side.

"I want to see Inoue." Rukia watched his expression carefully. "I heard from Urahara that she hasn't gain consciousness yet." Her wide violet eyes narrowed. "How is she?"

Ichigo shrugged, averting his eyes, the frown on his face darkening. In three heartbeats, he replied. "I'm on my way to the hospital."

_That does not answer my question, stupid._ She wanted to point out as they walked together, but she chose not to voice it out. "Renji wanted to come." She said instead. "But he is loaded with paperwork. I just sneaked out of Soul Society, but really, I asked for Niisama's permission."

He lifted a brow as he looked down at her. "You ask for permission to sneak out?" Rukia snorted as a reply, folding her arms.

"Soul Society is still in chaos, you know. Lots of paperwork. I'm glad I'm not a seated officer." She sobered, remembering her captain. "Ukitake-taichou is still recuperating."

"You have doctors there, right?"

"Yeah," she answered, following Ichigo inside an elevator. "Even Sou-taichou is worried. As worried as he can be."

Ichigo scoffed and Rukia didn't miss it. The elevator stopped at the second floor and people filed out, leaving the two of them.

"Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"Renji told me that you prohibited Soul Society – Even Hitsugaya-taichou – to come in contact with Inoue." She carefully watched his face. "Is it true?"

He looked down at her, taking off his red gloves, "so what?" he snapped defensively. Rukia met his gaze head on with her own scowl. "I want Soul Society to stay the fuck away from her. Even Toshiro. Or Matsumoto. I trust no one!"

"Including Renji and I, you baka?"

Ichigo looked startled for a while, and then, he exhaled tightly. "I don't mean that, midget!" He was rewarded with a stomp on his foot. "The hell! Rukia, that hurt, you –"

_Ding._

Snarling at her before stepping out of the lift, he stalked to the left, leaving Rukia behind who jogged after him. "Hey! Baka!"

A pulse throbbed in his forehead. "She's here." He said before Rukia could say something else. They both lingered outside the room, standing before the door that separated them from the girl who slept deeply, beautifully.

"Rukia?"

"I know."

Tentatively, with her delicate but strong fingers, she turned the knob. The door opened, and she stepped inside, leaving the door opened behind her. Ichigo entered and closed the door. He turned his head; Rukia was standing beside the bed, a hand on Orihime's forehead.

"You idiot," Rukia murmured. "Not putting up your shield."

Ichigo decided to lean against a wall directly opposite to the bed, head turned to the side, towards the window.

"It's so faint…" The shinigami continued, frowning deeply. "Her reiatsu…" Rukia sharpened her senses. "It's really difficult to sense. But I can feel that it's increasing. Very slowly, though."

Ichigo faced her. "For how long will she stay like that?"

"I don't have any idea." Rukia lifted her palm off of Orihime's head, turned her head around and scrutinized the orange-haired teenager. She weighed her next words, but decided not to beat around the bush anymore. "Ichigo." The boy didn't turn to face her.

"This is not your fault."

She saw his lean body stiffen, and she waited for him to explode, argue or deny. But Ichigo kept his mouth shut, lips in tight line. The muscles in his jaw were grinding and his frown was darker than the usual. The lines around his mouth and eyes tightened, pulling and _pulling _that Rukia thought his muscles will snap_._ Fixedly, he kept staring at the windows, but Rukia knew he was not seeing anything, but the pictures of his nightmares, of Orihime bathed in blood, of Orihime's wide, tired eyes.

Rukia did not say anything after that. She watched Orihime, and she could not help wonder how _lifeless _she looked.

"I can't forget it."

Rukia kept watching Orihime.

"Her face, the look in her eyes. The way she…"

A prolonged silence. Distractedly, Rukia lifted a lock of auburn hair from the sleeping girl's face.

"She bled!"

Rrukia slightly jumped at the suppressed violence Ichigo's voice emitted. From the corner of her eye, she watched him, rubbing a lock of hair between her thumb and forefinger idly.

"She _fucking _bled… and…"

He ran a large hand over his head, and he pulled several locks before shoving his hand in his pocket.

"I can't forget it. I dreamed about it every fucking night. I need to see her everyday to make sure she's here. I need to –"

"She's alive." Rukia cut in.

Frustrated, he ran a hand over his thick, messy hair. "I _can't _forget it. Her face, her eyes. The blood. The –"

"You're hysterical." Rukia said quietly.

"Don't mock me!" Ichigo snapped fiercely, eyes hard and filled with heat, ferocity, _passion_. His voice was loud and his tone was sharp. But the patient remained sleeping.

"I'm not mocking you, fool. You _are _hysterical. Calm down."

He glared at her with unconcealed fury and aggravation.

"I hope Inoue won't mind, but, have you tried touching her?" Rukia gripped and lifted Orihime's hand and shook it. Ichigo's eyes widened and he was about to snap at her not to yank Orihime in her sleep but Rukia continued. "She's alive, you idiot. Inoue may look frail but she's strong! She won't die that easily. She's not a twig that could be easily snapped." Gently, she lowered Orihime's hand back to the bed. "You said it yourself. You see her everyday and yet, you keep wallowing?" Rukia shook her head. "Maybe you…"

Ichigo looked at her, arching a brow at her tone and the suspicious glint in her eye.

"What the hell are you thinking about?" he growled, narrowing his eyes.

Rukia grinned, like the way she did when she was in front of her favorite Chappy. "Nothing!"

"Bullshit."

The noble waved off his hostility, looking back to the sleeping girl. "Did Urahara tell you about the barrier?"

"Yeah. He thinks it's a barrier that does not repel attacks." Ichigo replied.

Rukia looked interested.

"It's a barrier that absorbs attacks, and in the process, it strengthens itself, feeding itself from the attacks it absorbs." Ichigo added, trying to remember what the shopkeeper told them.

"I see." Rukia nodded, _Inoue… what kind of power do you possessed?_ She mused, remembering the queries of Gotei 13 about the four super powered humans in Karakura after the battle. They were specific with questions regarding Inoue Orihime, and Rukia can't help it but feel puzzled at the curiosity. After the queries, the Sou-taichou withheld the punishment he prepared for her, an ordinary foot soldier, and Abarai-fukutaichou, for aiding the 'Ryoka'.

Shaking her head, Rukia focused her attention at her sleeping nakama. "You are too lazy, Inoue."

"Cut her some slack. She's tired."

"I know. I saw her eyes. She looked very, very tired."

"Yeah."

"But you know what, she looks…" Rukia shrugged, looking thoughtful. "She looks different with that tired look. Better looking, I guess."

"Eh?"

Rukia continued, "Even Renji noticed…"

The frown was deepening as Ichigo glared at her. "What do you mean? Notice what?"

When Rukia looked up to him, it was of pity. "God, you're _dense._" Ichigo visibly bristled, a vein pulsing in his forehead. "I'm leaving. I've seen Inoue and made sure she's fine. I don't know when I'll be back so you better not slack off."

"Tch."

Rukia walked to the door and paused abruptly as though she remembered something.

"And talk to her."

Ichigo glanced at her and met her serious gaze.

"Twice, you almost lost her. Her brother. Aizen. Who do you need next to finally gather your balls —if you have any— and tell what you need to say to her? Don't wait for the third time. Because bad things come in three."

* * *

**title. **to watch a withering flower**  
summary.** "Twice, you almost lost her. Her brother. Aizen. Who do you need next to finally gather your balls —if you have any— and tell what you need to say to her? Don't wait for the third time. Because bad things come in three."  
**note.** ne, long, isn't it? XDD hope you all like it! thank you so much for reading! thank you so much for your reviewing! thank you for the hits! Thank you, thank you, thank you! kiss, kiss. **  
disclaimer.** applied. **  
warning.** mistakes, spelling, grammar, length. um. angst? heehee XDDD


	10. to drop from a singing constellation

For the past few months, two or three, he could not remember, he learned something new.

And that was: don't watch girls when they were asleep.

Especially _this_ girl.

:

Thick lashes fluttered.

Kurosaki Ichigo lifted his narrowed gaze from the glossy Karate magazine Tatsuki left behind.

Reiatsu spiked.

He stood up, dropping the magazine.

And honey-colored eyes opened.

:

Three days after New Years Eve…

"Inoue!"

:

Urahara paused momentarily from his work, his head tilting to the side. Tessai noticed this and asked the distracted shop owner if there was something wrong. Urahara shook his head as a response.

Yoruichi's expression remained bored, her yellow eyes unblinking as she pawed a yellow ball of yarn disinterestedly. Curious, she lifted her gaze to Urahara who had a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The shopkeeper felt the stare and the smile widened. "Oho! The Sleeping Princess is no longer sleeping~ oya, this resembles my favorite fairy tale!"

The cat rolled its eyes and decided to take a nap.

:

Ichigo stood over her reclining form, watching the pale face that slowly flushed with color, her long lashes lifting and dropping in slow, groggy blinks. They lifted slowly and dropped quickly. His frown deepened as the girl's eyes remained closed, gritting his teeth as he waited for the girl to fully awaken.

"Hey."

To his surprise, at his tensed voice, the lashes lifted, revealing wide, groggy gray eyes. Ichigo was slightly taken aback at first, amber eyes slightly wide. A look of dazed confusion crossed the girl's face; her dazed eyes looked like they were searching for something. Slowly, the girl turned her head to the side and their gazes met.

Ichigo unconsciously swallowed, and despite the cool room temperature, he felt a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face. He wet his suddenly dry lips and blamed his sudden discomfort to the fact that he was hunching over the patient. Indeed, his back was starting to ache a little; however, it didn't explain the heavy uneasiness that sprung up from his chest as honey-colored eyes stared straight into his eyes.

He wished she'd stop looking at him like that.

"…You… You're awake."

He hated how lame he sounded.

The girl blinked quickly, her gaze clearing, the grogginess melting away. "Kurosaki-kun…"

Ichigo stiffened, and later relaxed, a tiny shiver teasing his spine at the sound of his name and of her husky, somewhat-throaty voice. His hand above her pillow that supported his hunched over figure curled in a fist, clutching the white bed sheet as he gulped again.

He told himself to get his act together; it was embarrassing and impolite to stare, he reminded himself, though the girl was doing the same thing, albeit innocently. Ichigo opened his mouth, paused, struggled and opened his mouth again only to realize that he did not know what to say.

But the girl smiled and continued.

"…Are you hurt," Her eyes crinkled in half-moons, "Kurosaki-kun?"

:

Ichigo stared at her for a while quietly. His frown deepened, his mouth curled in a scowl. "You're the one who's tied to a bed, Inoue." Her big eyes blinked and stared. Brows wrinkling, a pout on her lips, the girl looked down and started to pat around. Watching her, Ichigo sighed, "It's a figure of speech." He added. "Don't move around so much."

"But –"

"How do you feel?"

Orihime wet her lips and unconsciously, Ichigo watched her tongue with a frown. Her lips pouted as she tilted her head to the side. "I'm hungry." Her voice was cheerful, and she looked more alert than before.

Ichigo straightened up, his eyes heavy-lidded. Distracted, he lifted a hand to his hair, running his fingers through his thick hair. Realizing he was still looking at the auburn-haired girl who was staring right back at him, he averted his gaze, his hand dropping back to his side.

"Alright," he began. He cleared his throat first before continuing. "I have to go and look for a doctor first." The girl did not reply; he knew she was watching him, he can feel it and it made him uncomfortable. The silence thickened between them and judging at her serene expression, he was the only one who was feeling anxious. He suddenly realized… this was the first time he was left alone with Orihime.

The thought made him even more restless.

"A doctor will feed me?"

_Huh?_ He looked at her, grateful that she broke the suffocating silence with her quirky statement. At her earnest wide-eyed expression, the corner of his tensed mouth lifted in a faint smirk. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something – probably to ask her what she wanted to eat – but they were both startled by a flash of gold light erupting from the right side of her head. The light flew, spun once and hit Orihime's cheek.

"Inoue?"

"Ow!" The girl winced and her eyes crossed as the light landed on the tip of her nose with a screech. "Oh no… It's –"

"YES IT'S ME!" the light zipped backward out of Orihime's reach. Both Orihime and Ichigo followed the flash of gold light. It burst to reveal a dark-haired fairy.

Orihime gaped. "Tsubaki-ku~n!" her eyes sparkled in delight. The girl sat up properly and reached up with both hands. "How are – _oomph!_" Orihime's head thrust back as Tsubaki launched himself forward, hitting the girl's forehead with both of his feet.

"TAKE THAT, YOU IDIOT!" Tsubaki yelled, his little wings quivering.

Ichigo bristled in the background, surprised at the violent display. _The hell…? Who the hell is this little… guy?_ A vein popped out from his forehead and started to throb as the male fairy continued to holler. For something so small, fluttery and fragile, this fairy can _really _shout. Ichigo jerked when the said fairy zoomed forward again and with both of its little hands, pinched Orihime's cheek and pulled with all its might.

"Waah!" Orihime's arms flailed. "I'm so sorry, Tsubaki-kun!"

"What the hell!" Ichigo thundered, stepping forward. "What the fuck are you hurting her for? Stop it, you goddamned flying midget! She just woke up from her coma!"

The effect was instantaneous. Tsubaki, still holding Orihime's cheek in his little fists, swelled like a saber tooth tiger and his wings stood up, quivering. It was a wonder how someone so small could glare with such ominous intent_._

"Flying _midget_?" it hollered, a vein pulsing in its temple. "STAY OUT OF THIS, SHOWOFF BABOON." The fairy scoffed.

Ichigo twitched, his aura darkening. "What… What the hell did you just call _me?_"

Tsubaki huffed and ignored him, turning back to the girl whose spirit was too serene to 'cut' objects, even those who hurt her and her precious friends. She was rubbing her sore cheek with a pout and large, teary eyes. "YOU ALMOST DIED AND YOU ACT AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? You… You're pissing me off!"

Orihime offered a watery smile. "I'm sorry –"

"Don't apologize!" Again, the black fairy reached down and pulled her other cheek. "I told you to put up your shield but you didn't listen!"

"Mou! It hurts! It hurts!"

The vein in Ichigo's forehead stretched and snapped. Glowering, he reached down and grabbed the aggressive fairy, wrapping his long fingers around the hotheaded firecracker. Tsubaki cursed and turned his head around, coming face to face with Kurosaki Ichigo's glaring visage. The fairy huffed and struggled against the hold, but Ichigo's fingers tightened their hold, even though the fairy resorted into biting his hand.

"YOU DARE TOUCH MY MIGHTY WINGS, YOU ORANGE-HAIRED BUFFOON? Let go of me this instant!" shouted Tsubaki, flailing a fist.

Ichigo sneered fiercely, multiple veins throbbing all over his face. "Buffoon, huh?" His hand gave a firm squeeze that made Tsubaki angrier. "YOU TINY DRAGONFLY!"

The last sentence had Tsubaki swell and snap. With his little fists, the male fairy repeatedly pounded on the part of Ichigo's fist that he can reach. He earnestly wished the orange-haired to go closer so he can kick the show off in the eye (and maybe pluck his eyeball out.)

"I'm not a _dragonfly_ – I _cut_ objects! I pierce through things! I can _kill_! If it wasn't for this weak, bubbly, loud – _STOP SQUEEZING ME!_ YOU'RE CRUSHING MY POWERFUL WINGS, DAMN IT!"

"For someone so _delicate—"_

"I am _not _delicate!"

"—you flying pest can shout, huh?"

Tsubaki's arms and legs flailed in an attempt to free himself; Ichigo, however, kept a firm hold around the flying hot-tempered fairy who, Ichigo was sure, will try to attack and cut him into pieces if only his princess had the will for it.

"A flying pest? You absolutely have no respect, human! I am that," Tsubaki whipped a finger to point at Orihime, "annoying woman's embodiment of power, you showoff!"

Ichigo barred his teeth. "S-Showoff? What does that supposed to mean? I don't _showoff, _damn it, you pest! And don't call Inoue annoying!"

"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime tried to intervene but to no avail.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM, AN INSECT? Don't go calling me 'pest', ape!"

"APE? You… I'm _not _an ape!"

"And I'm not a pest! My name is Tsubaki and I destroy things and people!"

"Tsubaki-kun…"

"And I'm not an ape! My name is –"

Tsubaki snorted loudly, cutting him off. The fairy lazily shrugged, "I know." The half of Ichigo's face twitched as the fairy gave him a sly, insulting look before drawling, "You _strawberry_ girly –"

The little hold Ichigo had over his patience snapped. "DAMN IT!" Ichigo squeezed Tsubaki with both hands. Tsubaki matched Ichigo's fury as they shouted at each other.

"YOU BARBARIC MORON!"

"STUPID INSECT!"

"Kurosaki-kun… Tsubaki-kun…"

"Let go! Damn you, punk! I'll kill you!"

"Like hell you can, little bastard!"

"Um… Kurosaki-kun, please let go of Tsubaki-kun. He is very delicate."

Tsubaki turned his head around above his shoulder to snap at the girl. "I AM NOT DELICATE, WOMAN!"

"But –"

Tsubaki struggled; Ichigo, tired from the farce, freed the shouting menace with a grunt, letting it fly towards Orihime who caught Tsubaki in her hands. She gently cradled him and pressed him to her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki-kun for worrying you."

"Let go!" Tsubaki thrashed. "Don't hug me! And I'm… I'm _not _worried!"

Orihime blinked, "You're not? I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!" Tsubaki wiggled out of her hold and flew up, dodging Orihime's fingers. "I hate it when you say sorry!" The girl smiled patiently. With narrowed, annoyed eyes, Ichigo watched the loud firecracker twitch and spasm before pointedly turning his little face away, arms akimbo. "And don't smile at me like _that!_" snapped Tsubaki, glowering at something. "It's annoying!"

Ichigo arched a brow and glanced at Orihime who looked puzzled but understanding.

"…okay. I'm sorry –"

"I told you, didn't I? Don't apologize all the time!" Tsubaki flew forward and yanked at Orihime's cheek. The girl wailed and flailed but didn't put up resistance as the aggressive fairy pulled and twisted. There was another burst of gold light.

"Tsubaki!" Orihime and Tsubaki turned to the voice. "Stop harassing Orihime-sama!"

"Ah! Shun'o!" Orihime grinned at the blonde pseudo-leader who smiled apologetically at her.

"I apologized for Tsubaki's behavior. Tsubaki!" Shun'o turned to the glaring fairy. "Stop it this instant before I have Baigon-kun wrestle with you!"

"Damn it, you timid knot head captain!" Tsubaki let go of Orihime's cheek. "Aren't you worried at all? This annoying, weak, loud girl nearly died and –"

"So, you're worried?" interrupted Ichigo flatly. The corner of his mouth lifted as Tsubaki visibly flinched before shouting a loud, vicious "SHUT UP, BULLMAN!"

Before Ichigo could reach forward to teach the little guy another lesson, Shun'o intervened and pulled Tsubaki away from Orihime by yanking on one of Tsubaki's wings. "Gomen, Kurosaki-san! We're leaving now!" Ichigo just glowered in irritation which Tsubaki returned with fervent annoyance.

"Wait, Shun'o… How's everyone?" asked Orihime, worry lacing her tone.

"Worry not, Orihime-sama, we are fine. Please focus on taking care of yourself. As long as you're in good health, we are in good condition as well."

"Whatever. Next time, you better call out to me and use me, you understand? And you better make me cut something or else I'll –"

"Whatever, squirt." Ichigo grunted.

"I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU, I BELIEVE."

Shun'o shook his head, told Tsubaki to leave before Kurosaki-kun could do something to him and went back to Orihime's hairpin with a soft glow of gold. Tsubaki turned to Orihime and snorted, "I'm leaving! You're pissing me off!"

"Geez. You're one hell of a bad-tempered moaner."

"And your hair is _orange, _punk."

"You…!"

"Meh."

Tsubaki spun once before slamming himself back to Orihime's hairpin. Ichigo grunted and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He's annoying."

Orihime giggled, rubbing her cheeks with both palms. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun. Tsubaki-kun is really energetic."

The orange-haired glanced at her under his lashes. "You ought to be stricter with your underlings, Inoue. He's violent."

The girl cocked her head to the side curiously. "Should I?" And then, she beamed a fond smile. "I like Tsubaki-kun the way he is. He's energetic! I think he's funny and it is amazing how loud his voice is despite his size!" The girl slowly leaned back to her pillow, glancing at the windows covered with white curtains. "It annoys him when I feel unnecessarily sad. I think it's his way of cheering me up."

The fact that the loud flying midget was _that_ close to Inoue strangely made Ichigo uncomfortable. But he shrugged it off, dismissing the weird thought. _I'm just being curious_, he told himself. It was the first time he conversed (or exchanged insults) with Orihime's fairies, and the first time he heard that Orihime, despite her sunny disposition, can get unnecessarily sad. Watching the girl clad in thin, paper-like hospital dress, with her small hands on her lap, Ichigo realized that he didn't know anything about Orihime. Or rather, there were things that he did not know about his nakama.

And if things ended differently… then, the chances of understanding her and her quirks, getting to know her more and – Ichigo shook his head to clear his mind and averted his gaze.

A millions thoughts crossing his mind just by watching this girl? Not good.

Well, there was no sense dwelling on the what-ifs. The war ended. Aizen was dead. Orihime survived and woke up. Karakura was not obliterated. His family and friends were safe. And he got another chance to spend time with his annoying friends (yes, it was a jab to Kiego) and to keep a closer eye on Orihime.

_She became too popular for her own good. _He thought with irritation.

"So what do you want to eat?" asked Ichigo, thinking that it was better to introduce a new topic. This perked Orihime up, looking back at him. All she had managed, however, was a confused "huh?" Ichigo unthinkingly stepped closer to the bed, wondering at the back of his mind why the girl suddenly colored. "Is there something you particularly want to eat?"

His brow lifted as the girl gawked, stuttered, flushed brighter, and looked at anywhere but him.

"Inoue?"

Orihime jerked and looked up to him, "Ah… Ano…" Her face was flushing deeply and brighter, etching a frown on Ichigo's face.

_Is she getting sick? _"Are you alright? Your face is all red." He lifted a hand. "Do you have a cold?" His fingers were a scant inch from touching her forehead when the girl jerked back away from his touch, stuttering and waving her hands.

"K-K-Kurosaki-kun! I mean, I… I — A-are you h-hurt?" Ichigo blinked at her, confused. Still frowning, he lowered his hand and shoved it inside the front pocket of his faded tight jeans. The auburn-haired girl continued stuttering, stumbling over her words. "I can heal you n-now!"

"You're the one who was unconscious for months, Inoue." He replied quietly.

"Eh…" She stopped moving her hands, mouth slightly parted as she looked up to him.

He looked down to her with heavy lidded eyes, watching her from behind his messy bangs and beneath his lashes. "You should worry more about yourself."

"Ah~ But I'm really sturdy! My immune system is strong like an elephant!" She beamed, pumping her fists.

He shook his head. "A sword went through your body."

She stopped, "huh?"

"You… Is that all you're gonna say? Huh?"

Orihime scrunched up her nose, comprehension dawning on her face. "A… sword… went… through… my… body."

Ichigo looked lost for a while, then exhaled. "You just repeated what I said!"

"Well…" The girl looked down to her body, her hands feeling up the area above her chest. "I feel… I'm fine now. Just tired and –"

"Right." Ichigo turned his face to the side quickly as Orihime's hands lowered to her breasts. "So, what do you want to eat?"

Orihime went back to stuttering. "Ah~! Y-you… you d-don't have to get me a-anything, Kurosaki-kun! Please, don't bother! I'm fine! I'm not hungry and –"

"Nah. It's okay." He glanced at her cautiously and studied her with an unreadable expression, relieved that her hands were now gripping the blanket. "I'll get you anything you want."

"B-But… I… I…"

"Well, looks like you're not going to answer me." He took his jacket from the backrest of his previously occupied chair. "I'd just get you anything edible. Stay here." Ichigo turned to leave; Orihime called him back, stammering as her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Kurosaki-kun~ you don't have to! I mean, it's okay! I'm not hungry and you don't have to waste your time –" she stopped as Ichigo halted by the doorway, a hand on the door. Orihime watched his back, noting how the boy tensed, stiffened and relaxed in fast but fluctuating succession.

"Kurosaki-kun…? Are you alright?" Orihime moved the blankets off her legs as she prepared to get off the bed. "Kuro…"

"I didn't regret it."

She stopped in the middle of scrambling off the bed, wide-eyed.

Without looking back at her, a fist clenching, Ichigo continued.

"I didn't regret saving you."

:

The door closed quietly.

:

She didn't know how long she was staring at the closed door, eyes wide, mouth slightly parted. A look of confusion filled her face, trying to discern the meaning behind his last words – _if_ there was a meaning at all.

Carefully, Orihime slid back under the covers and leaned back to her pillow, watching the door.

_I should have said I wanted some Cheeseburgers with radish relish, strawberry ice cream, chocolate fondue and… and… _

Orihime sighed deeply, almost morose.

… _I think, I should have really, really, _really _told Kurosaki-kun just to get me some water._

Her chin dropped to her chest.

_I'm thirsty._

:

"_I didn't regret saving you."_

Ichigo heaved a deep breath and exhaled, long and strained. With a grunt and a scowl, he pushed himself off the closed door and walked off, back hunched, and hands inside his pockets.

_Damn. That was embarrassing._

He bet she didn't even remember it, the nagging and infuriating question Aizen had asked months ago as they battled above Karakura.

Again, he groaned, cursing under his breath.

_I should have kept my fucking mouth shut._

* * *

**title. **to drop from a singing constellation**  
summary.** "I didn't regret saving you."  
**note.** XDD it's short, but i like this chapter *squeals* hope you all like it! i missed this story *cries* so, i think i'm remembering why i put this thing under the romance genre! but i want the "romance" to be sweet and… slow-boiled. eh? i think i have a thing for the word "boiled". XDD thank you so much for reading! (and reviewing if you'd spare me one juicy feedback, a compliment and a critique XD) thank you for the hits! Thank you, thank you, thank you! kiss, kiss. thank you for your kindness and for being awesome! eh. this a/n is long. don't like. D:**  
disclaimer.** applied. **  
warning.** mistakes, spelling, grammar, weird writing style? heehee XDDD a conversation!chapter, Tsubaki… being Tsubaki, sadly, Shirosaki-kun is not present. if there are glaring mistakes, please, don't hesitate to send a whacking message. :)


	11. to fall in love not because of gravity

Orihime watched the slow fall of snowdrops through the window from her immaculately clean hospital room, staring up to the sky. Her palms were flat on the glass, mouth parted.

"Orihime!"

The auburn-haired girl turned around upon hearing the familiar voice. Her face brightened and she grinned toothily. "Tatsuki-chan!" she yelled, running across the room to throw her arms around her best friend. Smiling slightly, Tatsuki patted her on top of her head.

"Hey, hey,"

Orihime pulled back, teary-eyed, wearing a watery smile. "Tatsuki-chan… I'm so sorry… I made you worry about me." Tatsuki smiled in understanding.

"I'm glad you're awake."

"Yup!" Orihime clenched her hands into small fists in front of her. "Kurosaki-kun was here when I woke up!" Tatsuki glanced towards the door. Orihime's gaze followed Tatsuki's; two male figures walked in. "Ah! Sado-kun! Ishida-kun!" She beamed; Sado raised a hand in greeting.

"How are you, Inoue-san?" asked Uryuu as he slid his gloves off.

Orihime smiled widely. "I'm fine! How about you, Ishida-kun, Sado…" Another tall figure in winter apparel appeared. "…kun." Orihime murmured, distracted.

"Hey," Those brown eyes behind the cage of orange locks blinked first before looking into her large gray eyes. "Inoue."

"Kurosaki-kun…" She blushed faintly and smiled. "Hello,"

Ichigo nodded, loosening his scarf around his neck, brown eyes watching the girl carefully. She was wearing loose baby blue, animal-patterned pajama top and pants. Her feet were bare and her toes peeked through the holes of her pants. "Is it OK for you to be up and about?" he asked.

"Yup!" answered Orihime. She looked back to Tatsuki who was watching the exchange casually, expression neutral, her brows lowered. She glanced back at Ichigo who was staring at her from underneath his lashes with the same neutral look in his eyes. He blinked when he caught her looking at him; he averted his gaze and leaned against a wall. "It must be pretty outside." Orihime continued.

Ichigo shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's cold."

"I missed a lot, didn't I? Christmas, New Year…" Orihime trailed off, looking wistful.

"You've been sleeping _a lot_, Orihime." Tatsuki said with a shrug, arms crossed. Orihime giggled, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"…well, it was a long, tiring… um, journey, um," she fidgeted under her best friend's sharp scrutiny. "Sort of…" she continued softly, eyes downcast in guilt. Orihime glanced at her best friend underneath her lashes, shoulders slumping in defeat as Tatsuki did not relent. "I'm sorry…"

Ichigo, Sado and Uryuu watched the two females quietly.

"I know," said Tatsuki. Orihime glanced at the three males, wide eyed. _Tatsuki-chan knows?_ Instantly, a look of guilt passed over Orihime's face.

"I'm sorry, Tatsuki-chan. I… I wanted to tell you, I wanted to say good bye to you and tell you that I'll be alright. But…" Orihime lowered her head, her long hair covering her face. "I… didn't have much time." She lifted her chin, a strained smile on her lips. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to Sado-kun and Ishida-kun."

At this, Tatsuki arched her brow, stealing a quick glance from the tall, orange-haired boy leaning against the wall beside the door.

Ichigo's frown deepened, looking down to his right gloved hand with a confused, strained expression. He swallowed slowly, tentatively curling his right hand into a fist. He was tempted to ask her about _her _reaitsu wrapped around his wrist like an invisible glove, about his healed wrist and… what was she doing in his room the night before she disappeared. Or was she there at all? He was still frowning down at his gloved right hand when Uryuu called his name.

"Kurosaki,"

Startled, Ichigo looked up. "What?" he looked around and saw his friends watching him curiously.

"Is there something wrong, Kurosaki-kun?" asked Orihime with a tilt of her head. Ichigo stiffened, staring at the concerned girl. The urge to ask her why and how she healed his wrist, if she visited him before leaving, was all consuming. He almost felt desperate to _know. _However, he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. And most of all, he didn't want to assume.

He must have been gawking at her stupidly, judging from Tatsuki's pointed look. Cursing mentally, he cleared his throat and withdrew his gaze while shoving his right fist inside his pants quickly.

"Nothing's wrong,"

"You're daydreaming," Uryuu deadpanned. Ichigo replied with an infuriated glare.

"Well, Orihime?" Tatsuki prodded. Orihime reddened and dropped her gaze, her toes curling.

"I… I'm…"

"Don't apologize." Tatsuki interjected.

"O-Okay… Um," Orihime peeked at Tatsuki underneath her lashes. "I'm hungry."

Tatsuki was unimpressed. Orihime began to flail. "I really am! They… I mean no disrespect but I really don't like their food…"

Tatsuki gave a long suffering sigh. Ichigo decided that it was time to change tactics. He pushed himself off the wall and walked up to the auburn-haired girl. Orihime looked at him with her wide eyes and she squeaked as Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder. Ichigo frowned at her, watching her face fill with color.

"Inoue, are you OK? You look a little red."

Tatsuki snorted.

Orihime flailed again. "I'm f-fine! Just… Um, I'm fine!"

Ichigo looked unconvinced. Nevertheless, he acquiesced. "Right. Anyway, I – I mean, _we… _shit. I mean," he grumbled a curse under his breath. "We wanted to ask you."

Orihime blinked and stared up to him, still flushed. "What?" she asked softly.

"Did they…" Ichigo cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Did they touch you inappropriately?"

"What do you mean 'inappropriately'?"

What? He had to explain _that_?

However, Tatsuki looked alarmed.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo refocused his gaze. "Ah. Inappropriately." Uryuu and Sado watched the back of Ichigo's ears go red. "You know… Did they touch you somewhere a guy should not touch…?" Oh damn. He was not blushing, he was _not._ Orihime seemed to understand his message for a new blush colored her face.

"O-Oh!"

"You understand my meaning, don't you?" Orihime nodded quickly, her eyes looking too big for her face. "So, did they?"

"No, Kurosaki-kun. I know they're enemies but I don't think they're that… you know." She dropped her gaze quickly, keeping her gaze locked with his coat buttons.

"Right," grunted Ichigo. "Wait, did Aizen do anything to you?"

This question caused Orihime to look up to the tall boy. "Um, he showed me where he kept the Hougkyou."

"Anything else?"

"Um, he told me trust me."

Ichigo raised a brow. "…and?"

"Um," The girl blinked a couple of times before adding thoughtfully, "he touched my face?"

A tic developed on his temple, remembering how Aizen touched Orihime so familiarly. His grip on her shoulder tightened unconsciously.

_That bastard._

"Anything _else?_" he gritted out.

Orihime looked curious at his sudden change of mood. He sounded… irritated. But why? Was it something she said? She shook her head as a reply. "Aizen never laid a hand on me to hurt me. Most of the time, I was in my room. That's all."

The grip tightened on her shoulder, eyes hard and dark. "Are you sure?"

She smiled to reassure him. He was really too kind, worrying for her. "Yes."

"But…" He saw her got maltreated by two female Arrancars and he wanted to ask her about that. However, looking at her serene face, maybe it was better if he kept his mouth shut and let her forget about it. Orihime looked like the type of person who'd rather forget and carry on instead of wallowing in despair about her traumatizing experiences in Hueco Mundo. However, it didn't mean that they'll let it go that easily.

Ichigo sighed. "Alright." He retracted his hand.

"Inoue-san," Uryuu spoke behind Ichigo. "If you want to talk about Hueco Mundo," Ichigo didn't miss the way she tense at the mention of that place but he decided to let it go for now. "You can talk to us."

"Yeah," Ichigo turned his face away. "We'll listen, you know."

She gave them a beaming, teary smile. "Yes. Thank you, thank you so much for… coming… to help me…"

"Right." Ichigo replied distractedly. He looked at her, carefully watching her face. "You can also tell us what happened _before_ you were 'taken' to Hueco Mundo." He saw her eyes widen and the way the corners of her mouth tighten. Her small hands gripped the hem of her pajama top, her bottom lip between her small teeth.

Uryuu and Sado both stared at the back of Ichigo's head, wondering why the orange-haired substitute would want to know what happened _before _Inoue went to Hueco Mundo.

"Alright, alright," Tatsuki broke the tensed silence, noticing Orihime's discomfort. The tension can be literally stirred with a spoon. "I'll stop asking questions. I'll wait patiently until you," she was saying this to Orihime, "—decides to tell me everything. I want the beginning, the middle and the end. No summaries. I want the whole details. But for the meantime, I think you need to sleep more. You look tired."

"But Tatsuki-chan, I just woke up and—"

"Also," the black-haired martial arts champion looked at Ichigo. The boy raised a brow. "I won't apologize to you, Ichigo. You deserved that punch."

Ichigo smirked. "Gah. You don't have to. Besides, it didn't hurt."

"What?" Orihime glanced back and forth between the two. "What punch? Tatsuki-chan? Kurosaki-kun?"

"Nothing," replied Tatsuki uninterestedly. "Now go back to sleep."

"But—"

"No buts!" Tatsuki pushed her back to the bed but Orihime looked at Ichigo who looked startled at Orihime's almost desperate expression. He moved to comfort her.

"I want to go back to school!" The auburn-haired girl blurted out. Ichigo stopped. The four teenagers stared at her. Orihime fidgeted but continued, "I really want to go back to school. Don't get me wrong! I… I'm very happy that all of you come and visit me everyday, I really am! But… But… I… I, I don't have anything to do here and I think it's better to be outside in the snow, go to school, see my friends, eat my own food, sleep on my bed, wear my own clothes, watch red butterflies and sit on my chair rather than stay here and stare at the blank wall, wait for food and… and… stare outside the window. I… I… I…" she lowered her lashes as she stared at her bare toes. "I'd rather be alone in my room with Onii-chan's face smiling back at me than to be alone here." She added quietly.

Silence hung around the five teenagers.

Ichigo sighed. "Fine," he said, breaking the silence while scratching the back of his head. "We'll process your release form."

Orihime looked up at him, mouth agape. "Really…?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, so can you go back to sleep?"

The girl squealed, obediently went under her covers and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm sleeping!" she sang and keep her eyes screwed shut. Ichigo smiled slightly at her antics, nodded at Tatsuki before leaving the room with Uryuu and Sado.

:

"Are you sure it's OK, Kurosaki?"

"Yeah… You heard what your dad said, yeah? She's fine." Ichigo replied, shoving a hand inside his red glove. "And didn't you listen to her? She didn't say it directly but I think she's lonely being cooped up in a room all by herself." Sado nodded beside him. Ichigo put on his headphones, stepping outside, still frowning deeply. "It will help her forget what happened _there_ if she's surrounded by her friends."

:

A day later, Orihime was released from the hospital. During her stay (90 percent of it was spent sleeping), she was well cared for and Orihime was grateful for the care and attention she was provided with. After expressing her gratitude with teary smiles, the auburn-haired girl stepped out of the hospital.

"Uwah," she murmured with awe upon seeing the white scenery up close. It was cold but this felt so much better from being confined in a four-walled white room.

Wearing a purple-blue short-sleeved dress with a ribbon under her breasts, white long sleeves underneath, black stockings and brown boots, Orihime ran outside, looking up to the sky.

"W-Wow…" She lifted her bare palms to catch snowdrops. "It's still snowing~ Amazing!" She rubbed her hands together and later knelt down, gathering snow in her hands. Fully occupied with her snowball, she didn't notice a familiar presence approaching her. "It's so cold to touch."

"It's because you're not wearing gloves, Inoue."

Startled, she yelped in surprise and looked up. "K-Kurosaki-kun!"

"Yo," he was wearing a dark red jacket with hood and fake furs which was zipped up to his chin, an olive green knitted beanie with earflaps, faded blue jeans and black boots.

Orihime blinked up at him, head falling to the side. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

His frown deepened. He took out his gloved hands from the pockets of his jacket, bent down and took her arm. "Eh?" squeaked the girl. Ichigo shook his head and lifted her up easily.

"Where are your gloves?" he asked, looking down at her hands, still holding her arm.

"Um, I don't have any."

"And you're not even wearing a coat." He sounded unimpressed, scowling.

Orihime laughed. "I don't feel cold!"

Ichigo slowly let go of her arm. "Right," he said dryly.

"Really! I don't feel really, really cold! Plus," she pointed up to the sky. "I really want to feel the cold and the snow and it feels really good!"

"You'll get sick, you know." Ichigo told her, bit the middle finger of his maroon glove and pulled. "Here," he said after pulling off his glove by his teeth. "Wear these."

Orihime's eyes widened. "K-Kurosaki-k-kun? You don't have to! I—" But Ichigo took her hand which caused her to blush furiously, and forced the glove on her hand. "Kurosaki-kun, I'm fine!" She went even redder, looking down at her hand now protected from the cold by his large glove.

"Give me your other hand."

"N-No."

He raised a brow at her; Orihime bit her bottom lip determinedly, a small frown on her face. Ichigo shook his head and grabbed her other hand easily. "Kurosaki-kun!"

"They're pretty big for your hands but you feel warmer, right?"

"B-B-But…" She flushed harder, looking down at her hands now covered in oversized gloves. The leftover warmth of his hands that lingered inside his gloves made her blush more. "Your hands…"

"It's OK." Ichigo reached forward and rearranged her scarf for her so that it was fit snugly around her neck and cheeks; Orihime blushed harder, sinking her chin onto her scarf in an attempt to hide her blush. Ichigo merely shrugged, thinking that her blushing was brought about by the weather.

"Yohoo~ Kurosaki-san, Inoue-san~"

The two redheads turned to the voice; Ichigo's eyes narrowed, Orihime was gleeful. Friendly as ever, the girl waved a hand, rather carefully because the glove was loose.

"Ara, ara~ look, Inoue-san is awake!" Urahara said cheerfully. Yoruichi smirked while Tessai approached Orihime and grasped her hand with his larger ones.

"Inoue-dono, I am so happy to see you looking healthy!"

Orihime rubbed the back of her head, giggling. "Hai! Arigato, Tessai-san!"

"Hmm, I think you got thinner, Inoue." Yoruichi remarked.

"Eh? Really?"

"Yeah. Your breasts look bigger."

Ichigo made a choking noise, turning his face away. "Damn it, Yoruichi-san! Don't say such stupid things!"

"What," said Yoruichi blankly, "it is true."

"Gah," Ichigo grunted, shoving his freezing hands inside the pockets of his jacket while keeping his eyes averted. "Whatever,"

"Ano, Yoruichi-san," the dark-skinned woman turned to the meek girl. "A-Arigato!" Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai and Ichigo were startled as Orihime started to sniffle, her big eyes suddenly tearful.

"Inoue?" Ichigo turned to face her, suddenly worried. "Hey! Don't—"

Orihime put her hands on her red cheeks. "T-Thank you… T-Thank you for s-s-saving m-m-me…" Yoruichi looked confused at first, and then, she waved her hand as though waving off her gratitude.

"Don't mention it."

"B-B-B-B-But… I'm r-really g-grateful…"

"I know," Yoruichi patted Orihime's head as though petting her favorite pet. "I'm amazing."

_Tch._ Ichigo's eye twitched at the smugness.

"Mou, how about me, Inoue-san~?" Urahara faked a hurt voice. Ichigo groaned, irritated.

"Oh shut up, getaboshi."

But Orihime took the act seriously. "Of course, Urahara-san! Thank you so much for helping me and saving my life!"

Urahara quieted and averted his gaze. "Actually, I think I owe Inoue-san an apology." Orihime blinked, her face in a confused frown.

"Apology but, _oh,_" her expression cleared. "But Urahara-san, that's unnecessary. You were just trying to help me, weren't you?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes and glanced at Urahara. Orihime smiled serenely. "I won't lie and say that I was not disappointed and hurt to be cast aside but… Urahara-san helped save my life. So, please, do not apologize! I am forever grateful!"

Urahara snapped his fan open and giggled, annoying Ichigo. "Uwah, Inoue-san is so lovable~"

"Shut up already," Ichigo ground out. Beside him, Orihime made a subtle inspection of her surrounding, remembering that Karakura was _previously _destroyed. Urahara saw her curious, wandering eyes.

"Yes, Inoue-san, your 'rejection of events' is stunningly flawless, isn't it?" Orihime flushed vividly and looked down, uncomfortable and looking embarrassed as though she was caught doing something wrong. "Well, worry not, Inoue-san~ everything is fine and dandy in our lovely town!" Eyelids lowered over his scrutinizing eyes, Urahara regarded her carefully. "You even restored _lives…_"

Ichigo scowled; he didn't like the way Urahara said those words, especially the way he enunciated his last word.

"Well," Yoruichi cut in. "That was such a big event to 'reject', Inoue. Rejecting such a complicated 'object', I wonder if there are side effects."

"Side effects…? But I don't feel…" Orihime frowned thoughtfully. "I don't feel anything weird."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and studied Orihime's profile.

"Oh that's great! For a second there, I was worried for our lovable Inoue-san~"

"Tch." Ichigo gritted out, rolling his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"I wanted to walk Inoue-san home," Urahara pouted, "But Kurosaki-san is here, the prince in shining armor," The shopkeeper wiggled his eyebrows, "so we are not needed anymore."

He grunted, his brown eyes still narrowed and suspicious, "Yeah, I will walk Inoue home."

Orihime blushed healthily, turning to Ichigo, lips in an embarrassed grimace. "Y-You don't have to! I can –" But Ichigo pointedly ignored her protests.

"Please, if you are not busy, Inoue-san, I invite you to come to my shop." Orihime stopped flailing shyly and looked at Urahara.

"What for?" snapped Ichigo before Orihime could question the shop owner. As much as possible, Ichigo wanted Orihime to spend her time with their friends.

The suspicious shopkeeper giggled behind his fan. "Secret~"

Ichigo was not amused. "Hai, hai, Urahara-san," Orihime intervened before Kurosaki could say something harsh. She smiled politely. "After school, ne, Urahara-san?"

"Inoue-dono, I will prepare my super special cupcakes for you! Please come!" Tessai grasped her hand again. Orihime positively glowed in anticipation, matching Tessai's excitement.

"Sugoi! Hai, Tessai-san, I will definitely come!"

_Jeez. Inoue makes friends for life so easily. _"Let's go, Inoue."

:

"Are you sure it's OK, Kisuke?"

"Hai,"

"But what if they…"

Urahara gave a small smile. "Kurosaki-kun will not allow it, I believe. I'm sure he'd stick himself to Inoue-san's side after what had happened to her."

"Why are you doing this, Kisuke? Curiosity?"

"Hmm,"

"_Kisuke_,"

The shopkeeper pouted but Yoruichi didn't buy his act.

"No."

"Liar," she said blankly. "In some ways, you and Aizen are the same." Urahara visibly stiffened. "Always looking for answers, trespassing to God's territory, making experiments," The woman scoffed softly, "Well, you're on the _good _side so it doesn't matter. But let me remind you: this time, don't go overboard."

:

"You and Tessai-san are close, huh?"

Orihime beamed at him. "Are we?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I think so."

"Tessai-san is really kind and most of all, he makes delicious foods!"

_I doubt that._ After all, the two shared the same strange taste buds. "Are you going to be OK on your own, Inoue?"

The girl nodded, still smiling. "Hai, I can manage. Oh!" She stopped and gawked at the sight of her apartment. Ichigo glanced at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Inoue?"

Her head snapped in attention. Her cheeks colored again under his questioning glance. "Eh heh, nothing! Just…" Her face softened, eyes adoringly gazing at the familiar apartment complex. "I'm just really glad that I'm home."

Ichigo remained frowning but behind the few locks of orange hair falling over his eyes, his brows relaxed a little. Orihime turned to him and smiled a big, watery smile. The corners of her eyes were moist and she looked as though she was trying to hold back her tears.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, thank you to our friends… Thank you for helping me. Even though…" She sniffed and took a deep breath. "…you had to… you know," she made a wild gesture with her hands above her head. Ichigo smirked a little, understanding the gestures, _horns._ "And even though you didn't have to go and—"

He turned his head away, his hands inside the pockets of his dark red jacket. "Don't be silly. We're not going to leave you there, you know." He muttered against the fabric of his scarf. "Come on, it's getting colder and the TV shows that you like are already on." He walked ahead of her, listening to her footsteps as she tried to catch up with him.

"Hai! Oh, Kurosaki-kun," Ichigo looked sideward at her, brows arched. Orihime was in the process of taking off the oversized gloves. "Your gloves,"

"No." The girl looked up to him, red-cheeked and confused. Ichigo continued, "You can keep them."

Her face instantly colored a violent shade of red. "I-I can't!" she stuttered and shakily proceeded into taking off the gloves.

Ichigo shook his head and took her arm, hindering her from her taking off the gloves. "Ehh!"

"Come on." He guided her up to her apartment. They reached her door.

"Kurosaki-kun, I can't… You're too kind! I just can't accept these! What about your hands? What about—"

Ichigo shrugged. "See you tomorrow," he said instead.

"Kurosaki-_kun!_"

"See you tomorrow, Inoue." Ichigo enunciated each word, the corner of his mouth twitching as he watched the girl's shoulders slumped in defeat. She looked up to him, lips pursed.

"See you tomorrow, _Kurosaki-kun._" Orihime parroted, smiling. Ichigo smirked. "Thank you for walking me home even though you don't have to!"

Ichigo looked away from her smiling face, suddenly uncomfortable. Her smile had this strange effect; it made his stomach uncomfortable. Sometimes, it was painful, like he was having a stomachache. The effects vary, but so far, they were tolerable; he often ignored them, claiming that they were unimportant.

"Yeah," he flashed a quick small smile, turned around and walked down the stairs.

* * *

**note.** this story is alive! thanks to a song who inspired me not to slack off. my headache's really stubborn, and my nose keeps on secreting icky stuff and please forgive me and my mistakes such as wrong spellings, wrong grammar, wrong punctuations etc. do not hesitate to tell me about my mistakes (i don't have a beta XD)! thank you for clicking and reading (and if you have time, reviewing!)!

**title. **to fall in love not because of gravity**  
summary.** "Yeah. Your breasts look bigger."**  
disclaimer.** applied. **  
**


	12. to the boiling point

Ichigo's frown deepened as he drew closer to his classroom.

_Inoue?_

What was she doing? She was bending over, peeking through a gap between the sliding door and the doorframe. If she bent even further, her underwear will show. At this thought, his frown deepened, a tic developing in his temple as his pace quickened.

He lowered his headphones around his neck and pulled his scarf down. "Oi, Inoue." The girl jumped and squealed, whirling around to face him.

"K-Kurosaki-kun…!" Orihime exclaimed, flushed and wide-eyed. "You s-startled me~"

"Ah. Sorry," He pulled off his scarf. "What are you doing here outside?" The girl bit her lip and averted her gaze; she looked even smaller now in her uniform, jacket and scarf with her shoulders slumped like that. "Inoue?"

Her head snapped up in attention as she looked up to him, her expression sort of strained. Seeing her anxious face, Ichigo eyed her cautiously. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Gray eyes widened. Waving her hands in front of her face, Orihime shook her head quickly. "No, no! I'm fine." Her lips curved in a sheepish smile. "Ano… It… It feels weird."

Ichigo's brows arched. "Ah." He scratched his hair, making it messier to shake off residues of snow. "I understand. I felt the same way when I first got back." He gave her what he thought was a smile, though it appeared a little awkward on his normally scowling face. "It's weird to be normal _again_, doesn't it?"

Orihime slowly smiles as she nodded.

"You'll get use to it later on." He nodded towards the door. "Tatsuki and the rest are waiting for you."

The auburn-haired girl bobbed her head, looking less anxious. "Hai!"

Ichigo watched her happily skip inside, greeting Tatsuki a good morning. He followed her inside just in time to see Honshou launched herself towards the girl, only to be thwarted by Orihime's faithful Dragon.

"YOU PSYCHOTIC LESBO!" yelled Tatsuki, a vein throbbing in her temple as she ground Chizuru's face onto the ground.

"Eheh, Ohayo, Tatsuki-chan, Chizuru-chan," Her other female friends started to gather around her, inquiring about her lengthy absence but a door slammed open and Ochi-sensei walked in.

"Osu! Very energetic, huh? Back to your seats now! Shoo!"

Orihime secretly glanced at Ichigo; she was surprised that he was looking at her. Quickly, she flashed him a small smile of gratitude to which Ichigo replied with a small smirk.

:

The day dragged on and the class droned on. The concourse thrummed with energy, filled with sounds of scratching pencils and shuffling papers.

_(now divide this and the answer will be… ASANO, answer the question!_

_Why me!)_

Ichigo never had the time to appreciate the noises. He was too edgy and busy waiting for his license to go off (and suppressing the voices behind his ears, that white menace).

But for the first time, Ichigo did hear the noises, even the sounds of the chalk scraping against the board and the tedious _tap, tap, tap _of bored pencils against notebooks. This was how 'normalcy' sounded like, he realized.

This was how it should be.

Sure, it was mundane and Kiego's melodramatic antics were annoying, but everyone was safe and everyone was where they should be.

_Orihime _was back where she should be.

Although, getting used to less adrenaline-filled, everyday life would be strange, Ichigo looked forward to ordinary (but Kiego Melodrama filled) life. He deserved some peace and quiet after saving the world and a friend. However, he knew his self-appointed role of protector, also his, unfortunately, complex, will last for as long as he was alive.

For Orihime's part, she was eager to restart all over again. It felt like she was given a second chance in life and she resolved to live better. In between classes, she found herself looking up and around to study her surroundings.

She smiled.

People, people, _people_ surrounded her. It was odd, to be back, to sit on her chair – that loyal, sturdy chair – to feel the solid presence of her desk under her palms, to hold a pencil (which she missed sorely) guess the shapes of the clouds outside her window and to hear Ochi-sensei. Everything… felt surreal. However, it was Tatsuki's embrace and her friends' noises that helped her realize that she… she was _back_ at where she belonged.

Suddenly, Orihime was filled with an urge to cry. But she stopped herself. She didn't want to worry Tatsuki-chan. Instead, she kept smiling and made note to herself that she was loved. She wasn't here to occupy the empty space and breathe the extra oxygen. She was here because she was wanted.

:

It was colder now in January, Orihime realized as she tugged at her overlarge, knitted cap. She pulled it down even further, the hat covering her forehead and eyebrows. The knitted strings connected to the earflaps were untied.

"Orihime, are you listening to me?"

The auburn-haired girl blinked and nodded with a smile. "Don't worry about me."

Tatsuki looked exasperated, her brows furrowed. "It's hard not to. Even while you're standing there without doing anything, you attract trouble like a magnet."

Orihime laughed and tried to console her friend. "I'm going to be fine, Tatsuki-chan. Thank you so much for your concern."

"Alright," conceded Tatsuki, eyeing her best friend who was covered in a grey jacket that looked too large for her, a flowery knitted scarf that drowned her small face and a ridiculously bright-colored knitted winter beanie with big earflaps. Thick, caramel hair curled messily around Orihime's flushed face. "Be careful." Tatsuki turned to go; she wanted to walk Orihime home in hopes that the girl will finally open up to her. However, she had to stay for her karate. Tatsuki knew Orihime was a 'super-powered' human but it didn't make her less concerned about the girl's safety.

"Wait, Tatsuki-chan," Tatsuki turned around, arching a brow. Orihime was smiling a little. She was rubbing her gloved palms together.

"I… I just want you to know that," Orihime stopped rubbing her hands and looked straight into Tatsuki's eyes, "I'm going to Urahara-san's first before going home."

Urahara. That rang a bell. Tatsuki frowned. "Is there something wrong, Orihime?"

Orihime waved her arms, shaking her head in a negative. "No, no, nothing's wrong! Don't worry. Urahara-san asked me to stop by at his shop. I'm sure he just wanted to see me for something…?" Orihime looked curious and intrigued, tapping her chin contemplatively. "Don't worry, Tatsuki-chan, if there's something weird going on, I'll tell you!"

Tatsuki looked skeptic. "You will?"

Orihime smiled, understanding her best friend's doubt of transparency. She knew how much it hurt Tatsuki to be left in the dark about her 'extracurricular' activities. At first, Orihime had doubts of telling her friend about Kurosaki-kun and Soul Society; she believed that the lesser Tatsuki knew, the safer she would be. But Tatsuki had always been there for her and the least she could do was to be honest.

"Yes," Orihime answered with such frankness that Tatsuki could not help but believe her.

Tatsuki smiled gratefully. "Okay…" Orihime beamed back, relieved. Perhaps, things would be easier now. She would not have to run off somewhere and after Ichigo unannounced, leaving Tatsuki worried.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tatsuki-chan!"

Tatsuki was about to reply when a voice interrupted her. "Tatsuki! Have you seen— Oi, Inoue!"

Both girls turned to the voice. Orihime flushed delicately, looking over Tatsuki's shoulder.

"Right on time, Ichigo!" Tatsuki jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards Orihime. "Walk her… wherever."

Orihime opened her mouth but Ichigo interrupted her. "No need to ask me." To the auburn-haired, gawking girl, he asked, "Inoue, you're going to Uarahara-san's, right?"

"Y-Yes,"

"I'm coming with you."

Gray eyes widened as her blush deepened. "Y-You will?" Her voice was shrill. A small frown wrinkled Ichigo's forehead. "B-But—"

"Come on," Ichigo exchanged curt nods with Tatsuki then walked past Orihime. The shy girl looked at Tatsuki imploringly, embarrassed. The dark-haired girl replied with a grin, lifting her hands to make groping gestures in front of her chest which vaguely reminded Orihime of one of their earliest discussions regarding Kurosaki and 'taking him down'.

"T-T-Tatsuki-chan!" gasped Orihime in mortification.

"Huh?" Ichigo glanced over his shoulder curiously, catching Inoue making wild gesticulations towards her best friend. "Inoue?" The girl stiffened and whipped her head around to look up to him. Her eyes were too big for her face, Ichigo vaguely thought.

"R-Right! Let's go, shall we?" With that, Orihime marched past the orange-haired boy, determinedly not looking back in an attempt to hide her flustered face.

Ichigo shrugged and followed the girl.

:

"Oi, Inoue."

"H-H-Hai!"

"You don't have to be stiff, you know."

"H-H-Hai!"

"And that's not the way to shoten,"

"…Go… Gomen ne!"

:

The walk to Urahara's shop was comfortably silent, occasionally punctuated with cheerful inputs from Orihime.

"Ah~ Jinta-kun! Ururu-chan!"

Both youngsters looked up. The redhead boy scowled. "You?" he scoffed, "Whatcha you want?" Orihime smiled good-naturedly while Ichigo scowled back in distaste.

"Is Urahara-san here?" asked Orihime politely. Jinta opened his mouth to reply; at the same time, the door behind him slid open, revealing the man in green and white bucket hat.

"Ora, ora! Inoue-san~ hello, hello! Oho, Kurosaki-san is here as well?"

Ichigo glared. "What do you want from Inoue?"

Urahara faked a hurt pout, "So distrustful." To which Ichigo replied with a snort. "Come inside and please follow me." Orihime stepped in, followed by Ichigo. The orange-haired substitute vaguely expected Urahara will lead them to his store's common room where they usually gather but Urahara continued down the hallway.

"Where are you taking us?" Ichigo asked from behind Orihime.

"To the underground, where else?" replied Urahara.

"Why there?" Ichigo demanded with a frown.

"I can't afford a better place to suit our visitors' needs." Ichigo was about to ask who these visitors were when the blond ex-captain continued, "Oh, you can leave your things here." He pointed at the low table at the corner. The two teens complied albeit reluctantly in Ichigo's case, shedding off their jackets, scarves and gloves but leaving their yellow sweaters on. The three continued down and later found themselves climbing down a wide staircase.

Orihime stopped in her tracks. Ichigo, with a frown, did the same and followed her line of sight. His eyes widened before narrowing in slits. His teeth ground together while a muscle clenched in his jaw. He stalked past her and stopped a feet in front of her.

"What the hell. Didn't I tell you to stay the fuck away from my friends?"

Seven individuals in white haori stared back calmly.

The eighth one, however, sneered. "Shut the fuck up, Ichigo! Let's fight!"

:

"Now, Zaraki-san," Serene-faced Unohana Retsu began. "We don't have time for that."

Ichigo scanned the line of white haori-clad individuals. They were assembled in a row with a shoulder-length space in between each captain. The only non-captain shinigami present was Yachiru.

Kenpachi snorted. "Tch. I thought we're here to rough him up?"

"Obviously, you were not listening to Soutaicho." Kuchiki Byakuya remarked standoffishly.

"Please, silence." Unohana stepped forward.

Orihime tried to step forward to rest next to Ichigo but the orange-haired boy held out an arm to his side, halting Orihime's movements and placing an invisible barrier between the eight Soul Society Captains and Inoue Orihime. The girl eyed the appendage before her, his fist clenched before looking up to stare at the back of Ichigo's head.

His eyes were dark and hard ambers as he growled coldly, "What do you want?"

To his silent ire, the female captain's gaze went past Ichigo. A muscle jerked and clenched in his jaw. His query, however, was ignored as Unohana calmly returned her gaze to Ichigo. Without breaking eye contact, the captain addressed Urahara."Urahara-san, please enlighten our guests."

"Correct me if I'm wrong. But this Ryoka," Soi Fon nodded jerkily at Ichigo's direction, "isn't the Ryoka we needed."

Ichigo bristled. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Please, let me explain." Urahara intervened. "Inoue-san," Ichigo stiffened while Orihime looked surprised. "Soul Society is here to oversee the destruction of Hougyoku."

"Wait… What has Inoue got to do with that_?_" asked Ichigo, confused and irritated.

Urahara continued, looking at Orihime. "Inoue-san, I have to ask you to lend a hand in destroying Hougyoku."

:

Orihime looked half-surprised, half-confused. _Me… Destroy the…_

"No." It was Ichigo who answered for her. Orihime snapped out of her stupor and stared at the back of his head.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"This is not for you to decide, Kurosaki-san." Unohana replied. Her tone was business-like, but it demanded absolute compliance.

Ichigo scowled, stepping sideward so that he was standing in front of Orihime. "It's dangerous! And that _shit _is your problem. Leave her out of this."

"Her powers of rejection might work. It is our only choice to eradicate this object." Urahara reasoned out as he held out the glassy orb in his palm. Orihime, peeking around Ichigo, hid a flinch upon seeing the familiar, deceptively harmless object.

_How did it end up here?_ Orihime wondered with a small frown.

"Have you forgotten? Inoue just woke up from her coma _yesterday_. Be considerate!" Urahara went quiet. Unseen by Ichigo, leaning against a rock was Hirako in his standard, laidback attire, watching the scene underneath the rim of his hat.

Unohana spoke. "We understand. But time is of essence here. We must eradicate the Orb as soon as possible to prevent another catastrophe involving this object. We have tried several techniques but none have work so far. We need your cooperation."

Ichigo snorted. "As if I'm going to let Inoue get involved again,"

"Kurosaki-kun…"

At the sound of her voice, Ichigo glanced at her quickly. "Don't worry, Inoue." He said. "No one's going to force you to do anything." He returned his hard gaze forward. "We are leaving. Let's go, Inoue." He turned to her and began to walk past her.

Hirako pushed himself off the boulder.

They were shoulder to shoulder when Orihime spoke quietly.

"I want to stay."

Stunned, Ichigo looked at her profile. Orihime, however, remained looking forward.

"I…" She gulped and slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. A faint blush colored her cheeks at Ichigo's intense gaze. "I want to destroy the Hougyoku." Ichigo faced her fully, fully intending to keep her from participating.

"It's dangerous. You don't have to—"

"I know." She smiled slightly, trying to console him. "But I want to."

The frown deepened behind bright locks of orange hair.

"When Aizen showed me where he stored the Hougyoku … I told myself, I am going to reject its existence. I… It is something I wanted to do." She licked her dry lips before continuing and Ichigo's gaze flickered over the small, innocent act. "I want to try. If I failed, then, it's okay. At least I tried, right?"

She watched expression after expression flit over Ichigo's face. The area between his eyes was so scrunched up, his scowl so deep. She can almost sense a mental war going on inside him, and she slightly felt sorry that Ichigo had to bear this for her.

A staring match ensued between two bright-haired teens. Orihime was blushing faintly but held Ichigo's gaze. Surprisingly, it was Ichigo who averted his gaze first with a sharp sigh, mentally cursing Soul Society. He was sure they knew Orihime's kind and naturally helping nature and they, in Ichigo's bitter opinion, had taken advantage of that trait of hers.

"Come on, Ichigo, you're not her mother, you know."

Ichigo bristled at the familiar voice, his eye twitching. "Hirako-kun," Orihime murmured, surprised.

"Hi, Orihime-chan." Hirako grinned, "Heh, you got yourself a very protective mother hen."

Ichigo was very tempted to punch Hirako's teeth off his mouth. Orihime, however, just smiled. "Fine," Ichigo groaned in a low voice, turning his face away as he grabbed at his hair and pulled. Orihime gave a grateful smile and skipped towards Urahara

Hirako kept his gaze on the white-coated captains, fully aware that his presence irked them (at least not all of _them_). However, it interested him that the captains, with the exception of the Commander General and Ukitake, were here with outstanding, almost-perfect attendance.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing here?"

Hirako shrugged, not looking at Ichigo as he replied. "Urahara invited me."

There was silence. "So… you know Getaboshi." Ichigo later asked. Hirako shrugged, wearing a bored face. But Ichigo continued, "And Aizen. Not only Aizen, but all of them,"

The blonde Vizard tensed. But Hirako slowly smirked to himself. _Of course, the kid will fucking notice._

"Yeah," he drawled. "So, what," he grinned at the orange-haired boy. Ichigo stared back; he did not look amused or suspicious. He only snorted and looked away, his gaze landing on Inoue's back.

"You have something to say, don't you?" Ichigo said flatly. Hirako raised a brow. "Whatever the fuck it is, if you don't want to tell me, then don't. I am not interested anyway." Amber eyes swung back to stare into the blond Vizard's eyes. "Not yet, anyway."

Hirako snorted and exhaled. "Boo, whatever, tosser."

"Bastard," Ichigo scoffed.

"Somehow, I kinda expected you'd be here." Hirako snickered. "Of course, you'd glue yourself to Orihime-chan's side. But reminders," the blond Vizard wagged a finger. "Keep your hormones under control, yeah?"

"Don't talk as if you know everything, idiot." Ichigo snapped. "By the way, what the hell are they doing here? Don't you think it's kinda exaggerated to see them here just to watch some stupid spectacle?"

"Beats me," drawled Hirako. "But I betcha, something big is goin' on. Look at them go. Even the lazy ass Kyoraku is here." The said captain looked up and waved at them. The corner of Ichigo's mouth twitched. He turned his gaze back to Inoue; he stiffened, back straight and eyes wide as a barrier went up around the unsuspecting girl.

"Wait a damn minute! Inoue!" Ichigo hastily made his way to her, only to bounce back as the wall became solid between them. He turned to Urahara. "What the hell's going on? Take it down!"

"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun. I don't mind." Orihime chirped.

He looked at her, frown in place. "Is this necessary? What if something happens? I won't be able to come to you quickly!"

Orihime raised a hand and scratched the back of her head. "It's okay, really! I guess this is for precaution purposes? I might make something explode, you know!"

"It's not funny, Inoue! Let me in!"

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun is really nice. But if you worry too much, you might get a stomachache! It's not healthy. You should not burden yourself with my…" She paused and bit her lip. "I am going to be fine!" she quickly chirped out. "You don't have to bother yourself with me. I'm very clumsy so barriers like these are necessary." She smiled comfortingly but Ichigo remained tense, his lips in a straight line.

Tentatively, Orihime raised a hand to touch the wall, her palm flat on the surface. Unlike Hacchi's barrier which she could easily go through, the wall didn't dissolve under her fingertips.

"This won't take long." Orihime said quietly, lashes lowered. "I am sorry you have to come with me and be bored—"

Ichigo slammed a hand against the barrier as well, their hands indirectly connecting without them knowing. How small her hand was against his. "Don't apologize, Inoue. Someone has to be here to make sure you're not going to be taken advantage of."

Orihime beamed. With a blush, she clasped her hands together. "I'm pretty hungry so I'll make this super fast like a bullet train! I miss eating ice cream with garlic garnish and oh! I also miss dorayaki! Ahh, what should I eat for dinner tonight? I am very excited! Maybe I should make some steak, carrots, leeks, onions, wasabi!" The girl continued to mumble to herself, making a list with her fingers. "There are so many food I miss eating! I'll start with—"

"Inoue-san," Urahara prompted.

"Oh! Sorry, Urahara-san, I got carried away." Orihime said with a giggle and a blush.

"Ah, no worries~ I find your dialogue very adorable~"

"Shut up," hissed Ichigo. The shopkeeper pouted.

"I know you are curious as to how the Hougyoku ended up in my care, yes?" He snapped his fan shut. "Simple: it all thanks to Hirako-san here." The mentioned Vizard grinned lazily. "Aizen had embedded it to himself as said by Hirako-san. While fighting, Hirako-san felt its presence inside Aizen. Therefore, before discarding Aizen's corpse, Hirako-san retrieved it for me."

Ichigo now understood. He remembered some excerpts from Hirako's battle with Aizen.

…_as Shinji thrust a hand through Aizen's chest, rummaged around roughly that produced thick globs of blood pouring out of the body. Hiyori and Kensei (who finished his fight minutes ago) wore crumpled expressions; however, their eyes looked different, guarded. Shinji continued delving his hand inside Aizen's chest, and then seconds later, he pulled out something. Carelessly, Shinji dropped the body, pocketed the item, and casually, he flash-stepped to seize the decapitated head by the hair. _

"Unfortunately, the Orb is 95 percent awake. Maybe in three hours, it will fully awaken."

"I understand." Orihime nodded.

"I apologize profusely. I know you are still recovering but destroying the Orb at its fully awakened state will be very difficult. I tried several methods to destroy it, but I have failed several times. Inoue-san," Orihime looked up to him, an open-faced curiosity and wonder on her face. "Your ability is very astonishing. Using your abilities, I am hoping you can erase Hougyoku's existence."

Ichigo watched Orihime's expression, gauging her reaction. The girl merely smiled and nodded.

"I will try my best."

"Inoue—" Ichigo started but Urahara interrupted him.

"Inoue-saaan is really lovable~"

"Heh heh," Orihime flushed delicately; Ichigo scowled and shoved his fists inside his pockets.

"First, you have to break through the outer shell. Once you peeled off the covering, the Orb will be very vulnerable but at the same time, it will be on its most powerful state. I suggest you do the procedure as quickly as possible. Exposure to its… _presence_ is unhealthy."

Orihime nodded, her brows furrowed in concentration.

"Alright, start when you're ready."

:

The Orb was on the ground a few feet away from her. It lay still, almost innocent but Orihime knew better. She was a little nervous and a little excited over what she was about to do, but she gave herself a shake. Quietly, she approached the Orb. While she walked, Tsubaki materialized beside her, floating above her shoulder.

"Why am I not surprised that you decided to do something stupid?" drawled Tsubaki.

She giggled. "I'm sorry, Tsubaki-kun."

The male fairy yanked a lock of red-auburn hair. "You don't know how to listen!" He let go and crossed his arms. "Just make sure you don't blow yourself up!"

"Hai!" She stopped a few steps away from the Orb, studying it thoughtfully. It was so small but from her experience, she knew how threatening it was. At its presence, even with the distance between them, Orihime could feel its potent, oppressive aura.

She took a step forward.

And like a magnet, she felt her powers move forward, drawn to the Orb. There was a brief, ghost-like touch in her mind and _it _wrapped around her like a cocoon. It was a strange feeling, like she was floating in the middle of a miniature universe where she was the center, like she can do _anything_. Her lashes fluttered and her breathing became even as the feeling enveloped her being. Something was bubbling inside her; it trembled under the surface, coiling, restless like a serpent, screaming _let me out let me out let me—_

There was a crack.

Orihime's gaze became vacant, eyes half-lidded. The pull was stronger now. It felt… good. Really good… and—

Another crack, a muscle twitched in her cheek.

_Orihime-sama!_

She jerked as though she was electrocuted. Her eyes flew open, filled with life and confusion. She looked around; the feeling was gone. Orihime gave herself a shake. Biting her lip, she narrowed her eyes at the Orb. What was that strange feeling? It felt as though _something _was stirring inside her. It was uncomfortable.

The unfamiliar and dangerously enticing feeling further inspired her to fully erase the Hougyoku's existence.

Clearing her throat, with a smile, Orihime said, "Using Tsubaki-kun will be useless, I think."

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"Ah! I meant, you… you cut things, right? If you shred it to pieces, with a piece, I will be able to return it to its previous state. I think, to properly destroy it, I have to erase it entirely."

Tsubaki grunted and rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Way to go. I thought I'm going to show off this time!"

Orihime smiled apologetically. "Gomen ne, but you are going to break through the covering."

"Alright." Tsubaki rubbed his palms together. "Let's start!"

"Hai, full steam ahead, Tsubaki-kun!" cheered Orihime. The fairy gathered energy behind him to propel himself forward. Tsubaki shot forward like a bullet. He met resistance but he pressed on.

"Damn."

"Tsubaki-kun, are you alright— _oh!_"

"The hell, _woman!_ CONCENTRATE!" Tsubaki bellowed before bouncing back, his focus broken. He felt something lashed out at him, but he dismissed it and growling, he rounded on Orihime and grabbed the girl's cheek. "You make me lose my focus!"

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" Orihime flailed, teary-eyed.

"DO IT AGAIN."

Orihime rubbed her abused cheek, sniffing. "Hai."

"Once I broke the covering, make a barrier for yourself! Baigon, you ass, do you hear me?"

"SHUT UP!" came a deep bellow.

"Calm down, calm down~" came Shuno's voice.

"Tch. One more time!"

"Hai! Koten Zasshun, I reject!"

Tsubaki flew and battled against the covering. Orihime bit her lip, a bead of sweat rolling down at the side of her face. Tsubaki pressed on; a crack appeared. The crack spread like a spider web, until a portion chipped off. Orihime felt her breath seize in her chest. The presence was stronger… heavier. Without an incantation, her tri-god shield rose up.

_This is harder than I thought… No! I have to work harder! This is… a battle between the Orb and I! I'm so cool!_

:

Ichigo watched quietly behind the barrier, his eyes narrowed as he watched Orihime. A muscle twitched in his jaw when Orihime swayed to the side before catching herself and righting her balance. Two golden streaks of light flashed and spun around her, creating a half-dome barrier before lowering to the ground. The shield disappeared, allowing Orihime to sit down on her ankles to watch the procedure. Tentatively, the girl brushed a small hand over the shield; Ichigo could not see her face for she had her back on him but from the way she tensed up and the way the shield shuddered under her fingertips, he knew there was something wrong.

"Inoue!" he pounded on the wall. The girl jumped slightly and looked at him over her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She offered a small smile then faced forward again. She straightened up slowly and to Ichigo's confusion, Orihime started to walk towards him. She stopped before him, a hand gripping her opposite arm.

"Inoue, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked, hands flat on the wall of the barrier; Urahara looked curious, directing a questioning gaze towards the girl. Hirako, however, kept his gaze on the captains, each wearing carefully, neutral expressions. The hardest to read was Unohana's.

_Tch. _

"Ano… I'm sorry, but I think I need some help?" Orihime said reluctantly.

"What is it, Inoue-san?"

"Urahara-san, I think, I need, um, an outside source of reiatsu?" Urahara blinked. "I can fully erase the existence of the Hougyoku, but I don't have enough reiatsu to fully utilize my technique. I tried to erase it… but," she frowned, "I don't have enough supply of reiatsu for it."

"I understand. Maybe Kurosaki-san will be kind enough to provide extra reiatsu, hmm?" Urahara waggled his brows suggestively.

"Is it alright, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, oi, getaboshi, let me in."

"Right-oh!" Urahara shoved the back of Ichigo's head with the tip of his cane. Ichigo easily slipped inside.

"Alright— what the…" Ichigo's eyes widened. _What is this… aura?_ His eyes darted around the space and landed on Orihime's form. She was shaking. He can see her legs shaking. Why his gaze landed _there, _he didn't know.

"Inoue—"

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" Ichigo cringed in surprise upon the sudden appearance of Tsubaki in front of his face.

"Nothing," he growled with narrowed eyes.

Tsubaki snarled, "YOU'RE LOOKING AT HER—" Before Tsubaki could continue his sentence, Ichigo swatted him away, walking off.

"Come on, Inoue." He called out over his shoulder. Orihime caught up with him. "I don't like the way they're looking at you."

"Eh?"

"The captains," he scoffed. "I don't trust them."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"Now, what do I have to do?" Ichigo frowned ponderingly. "How can I lend you some reiatsu?"

Orihime pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I guess…" They stopped in front of the yellow shield. Still pondering, Orihime rolled the right sleeve of her yellow sweater. She held out her hand. "Please hold my hand."

"Hold your hand?" repeated Ichigo blankly.

"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay. It's just—"

"Heh. It's your first time to hold a girl's hand, isn't it, loser?" drawled Tsubaki. A vein pulsed over Ichigo's head,

"Shut up, squirt." Ichigo snapped and grabbed the offered hand. Orihime flushed vividly, her heart beating faster.

"O-Okay…" She willed her heart to calm down; his grip was tight. "I am not so sure about this but we'll try, Kurosaki-kun."

"Yeah,"

Orihime took a deep breath. "Shun'o, Ayame?"

"Hai, Orihime-sama," two small voices chorused.

"Are you two alright?" asked Orihime.

"Yes, please, do not worry. Concentrate, Orihime-sama. Kurosaki-san," Shun'o's voice addressing him surprised Ichigo.

"Yeah?"

"Please, provide extra reiatsu. We're inside a barrier thus it is safe to pour out your spiritual pressure for Orihime-sama to use."

Ichigo frowned, "That's all?" It sounded _too _easy.

"Yes. We'll handle the rest." Orihime blinked, _handle the rest?_ She wasn't sure how she'll be able to utilize Ichigo's extra reiatsu but she was willing to try.

Ichigo looked at Orihime; she was staring up at him. When their eyes met, she flushed and apologized for being rude. "It's OK. Let's start?"

Orihime nodded and looked forward again. A lock of hair fell from behind her ear as she stared down at the yellow dome in front of her. "Alright, Kurosaki-kun, please start." Ichigo grunted and with a look of deep concentration on his face, he released a massive amount of reiatsu. It felt like a tidal wave had surfaced inside the barrier; Tsubaki momentarily felt a heavy weight weighing him down before righting himself, mumbling about orange-haired idiots. Orihime suppressed a gasp; Shun'o and Ayame disengaged, releasing the Orb's massive, potent aura. The two flew in random directions, swirling around the two teens. Orihime took it as a cue to restart the procedure. The shield started to reform itself.

Orihime breathed deeply. The intensity of combined presence of Ichigo's overwhelming reiatsu and the Orb's aura was heavy. However, as soon as her shield reformed, the intensity diminished to a tolerable amount.

"Are you alright, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Wait, am I doing it right?"

"Yes… Ano, please wait for a moment, if you don't mind."

"Sure, take your time."

"Hai…" She took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily. The Sōten Kisshun became solid. "I…" Her fingers curled around Ichigo's hand unconsciously. Her lashes lifted, revealing deep, gray eyes.

"…_reject_."

:

Right after she said the last word, Ichigo felt something invisible, heavy and potent fall on his shoulders. For a second, he felt himself teeter as though he was in the verge of falling off a cliff. He glanced at Orihime from the corner of his eye, eyes narrowed. She had a serene look on her face, a complete opposite of what he was feeling at her presence. There was a feeling similar to a large snake wrapping around his body, slithering up to his chest and coiling around his neck.

Unconsciously, Ichigo gripped her small hand tightly.

_Damn._

He felt his spiritual pressure connect with hers. Before, Orhime's reiatsu felt warm and harmless, but now, it felt different. It was tinged with something lethal; it felt like that _she _was contaminated.

_What is this feeling?_

:

There was absolutely nothing in this world that can stop her from erasing the Hougkyou's existence.

Orihime was thinking, subconsciously.

Disappear.

_Inoue!_

Get of my sight.

_Orihime-sama!_

Reject its existence.

_Oi, wake the hell up, woman!_

Delete.

…

…

_Shit! Inoue, what are you doing?_

Fade to dust, black, void and —

_Inoue, snap out of it!_

Light brown eyes eyes flew open.

* * *

**disclaimer.** BLEACH belongs to KT/WSJ.

**title. **to the boiling point**  
summary.** fade to dust, black, void and…**  
notes. **yosh, this story is alive! the longest _hardboiled _chapter _ever._ ^_^" very hard to write due to RL issues, RL drama, & whatnot; nevertheless! here it is! i'm sorry for spelling, grammar etc., mistakes. next project: tiny!Hime fic. thank you so much for clicking and reading! do share your thoughts to help me improve if you have time. i think, my writing style has changed ever since i switched fandoms. although, i still get comments similar to "you have a weird writing style". XD your comments, compliments and critiques are/will be very appreciated :D **  
**


	13. to heart

"_Inoue!"_

It sounded so far away; it sounded like the sound was getting through a wall of sponge before reaching her ears. _Inoue! _The sound grew louder, more distinct but still, it sounded strange, watery.

"_Inoue!"_

The quality increased; the vowels strong. It was strange… it was –

"Inoue, snap out of it!"

Light brown eyes flew open.

_,_

Orihime blinked rapidly, eyesight adjusting and focusing. She was breathing shallowly; she can feel the throb of her veins in her temples and neck. Her heart pounded in her ears, and there was a strange feeling of something getting off her shoulders, of something uncoiling around her neck.

"Inoue!"

She swallowed, looking up to Kurosaki Ichigo's frowning visage. She blinked again, slower this time, and her sight slowly cleared. She opened her mouth, closed it and swallowed again. Her throat and lips were dry, and Orihime thought she needed a drink, preferably something cold, very cold. Vaguely, she thought, green apple Kool-Aid would be really nice.

She heard his voice again calling her name and she tried, very much so, to focus. But she felt light-headed, almost numb, and her throat was very dry. _What is wrong with me? _

No one answered, and Orihime tried to dismiss the feeling of trepidation that –

_There is something wrong with me._

Something had changed.

Eventually, numbness retreated, and feelings returned. She felt a grip around her arm and another over the curve of her shoulder. She can see Ichigo's face clearly now, and she tried to smile.

"Ku —" Her voice sounded weird; she tried again. "Kurosaki-kun."

The furrow between his amber eyes loosened slightly, but the worry that darkened his eyes remained. "Are you alright?"

Orihime licked her lips. "Y – Yes." She replied quietly, and now, she can feel the tight grip of his powerful hands. It was so tight that she had to suppress a wince. "I'm fine," she chirped, smiling.

Her smile must be awkward and taut for Ichigo did not look convinced. "Are you sure?" he insisted. "I've been calling your name for past few minutes but you didn't respond." Orihime's eyes softened; how can someone who scowled so much can be so kind?

She nodded, "U-Un!" At this point, she realized how close they were and her skin flushed. She watched Ichigo's frown deepen. He opened his mouth but something hit the side of his head and he tipped sideward, releasing his grip.

"Get your hands off of her!"

Orihime blinked while Ichigo caught himself. "What the…! You!"

"Tsubaki-kun…!" She gasped, realizing who had hit Ichigo.

Ichigo glared, a vein pounding in his temple. "Do you really have to hit me?"

The hot-tempered male fairy hovered in mid-air, his wings fluttering rapidly. "I hit touchy-feely jerks like you!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to retaliate, but Orihime quickly intervened. "Please, Kurosaki-kun, Tsubaki-kun, stop fighting." Ichigo closed his mouth, a muscle twitching in his jaw. Surprisingly, Tsubaki listened. Orihime smiled gratefully, stepping forward and around Ichigo. "I want to know what happened to the –" She skidded to a halt. "What… What happened _here_?"

Ichigo moved to stand beside her, his face unusually grave. "You did it." He sounded vague, confusing Orihime even more.

"But…" She trailed off as she gazed on the ground. A sinkhole had replaced Hougyoku. It looked as though someone blasted a Cero, making a clean-cut hole. It reminded her of Ichigo's hollow hole, the one Ulquiorra gave him, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. However, there was a slight difference. Instead of perfect round, it was shaped like an oval – suspiciously shaped like her Sōten Kisshun shield.

Orihime opened her mouth but she realized she had nothing to say. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked down at the hole. Her lightheadedness had returned. _What is this? _She wanted to summon and ask Shun'o and Ayame for explanation, but she felt tired and most probably, her fairies were exhausted as well.

Beside her, Ichigo cleared his throat. "We tried to catch your attention but you were not responding."

At first, nothing was happening inside the shield. Then, _it_ happened. The orb trembled, and then it dissolved as though it was being eaten and chewed by an invisible mouth. Ichigo thought Orihime was done and had expected her to dispel the shield. However, the ground under the shield had begun to cave in until a hole appeared.

"_Inoue!"_

"_Orihime-sama!"_

"_Oi, wake the hell up, woman!"_

The hole had deepened and started to widen; Shun'o and Ayame tried to disentangle themselves from each other but failed and thus, the oval hole deepened and widened. Ichigo had released her hand and grabbed her shoulders.

"_Shit! Inoue, what are you doing!"_

There was no response.

"_Inoue, snap out of it!"_

Orihime was looking up at him guiltily, biting her lower lip. Ichigo was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry about it! I'm sure Urahara-san does not mind,"

"But…" Truthfully, Orihime was more worried about _how _she made a hole appear under her healing shield. Sōten Kisshun was supposed to fix things, wasn't it? It was not supposed to make holes.

Urahara, after dispelling the barrier, had strolled over. "Oho~ that was neat, Inoue-san~" the shopkeeper sang cheerfully. The two teens turned to Urahara. "Thank you~ that was fast but mou… that was deep!"

Orihime blushed, embarrassed, while Ichigo scowled. "Urahara-san, I – I'm sorry – I didn't mean to… I… didn't…"

Urahara waved a hand, dismissing her stuttered apologies. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Tessai-san will take care of it!"

Orihime smiled bashfully. "I'm sorry for the trouble…" Urahara walked over the edge of the sinkhole. It was as big as a basketball court's free throw circle, roughly 25 to 30 feet deep. The hole was saturated in Inoue's reiatsu with small amount of Ichigo's.

"Um, Urahara-san…?" Orihime's meek voice shook Urahara out of his stupor. He looked at her; the girl looked like she wanted to ask something but her expression cleared and instead, she smiled sheepishly. "Thank you for instructing me. It helped a lot!"

"Inoue, are you sure you're alright?" Ichigo asked again before Urahara could reply to Orihime.

Orihime smiled to reassure him. "Hai! I'm fine. Just a little weird but fine," Ichigo's brow lifted, _weird? _What did she mean by that? He wanted to ask, but Orihime looked over his shoulder. Curious, he glanced cautiously behind him. Recognizing the figure, he scowled and turned around, his taller frame concealing Orihime from Unohana's neutral, but inquisitive gaze and also from the gazes of other captains.

"What now?" Ichigo growled, shoulders tense as though he was trying to enlarge himself to fully conceal Orihime. He kept walking backwards until he could feel Orihime's warm presence right behind him. Mayuri's obvious – almost hungry – interested gaze further annoyed Ichigo; why were they looking at Inoue with such cold interest? The only person who did not seem to care was Zaraki. Well, the man with pink coat looked genuinely curious.

Unohana, unfazed, smiled serenely. "Inoue-san," Orihime peeked from behind Ichigo, wide eyes flickering to look at the tall woman.

"Um, yes?" she asked uncertainly.

Unohana smiled. "Thank you for lending a hand in this matter. We, the Gotei 13, greatly appreciate your efforts."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Oh!" She skipped to the side, out of Ichigo's protective shadow, to bow at the female captain. "Thank you, too!" Ichigo arched a brow. Orihime seemed to sense his confusion for she hastened to elaborate, "I mean, thank you for… for allowing me to help. I'm glad you gave me a chance to help. After all the trouble I made by…" The girl fidgeted uncomfortably, unconsciously inching closer to Ichigo as Unohana's gaze became heavy as though she was dissecting Orihime under a microscope. Ichigo sensed her discomfort; he moved closer to her and was about to comment about the way Unohana was scrutinizing Inoue when the captain's face reverted to her usual serene expression, eyes crinkling in half-moons.

"It's not your fault if you are an interesting individual, Inoue-san."

Orihime's head snapped up, looking up to Unohana. Why did the way Unohana spoke 'interesting' remind her of Aizen when he talked about her abilities in front of his subordinates? She watched the woman walk off to join the rest of the Gotei 13 as a senkaimon appeared and towered over them. Ichigo, Orihime together with Shinji and Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi watched the captains disappear through the gate one by one.

"I wonder… what happened to Rangiku-san." Orihime murmured, watching the flutter of white robes. Ichigo glanced at her. "I wanted to ask Toshiro-kun but…" The frown on Orihime's face deepened thoughtfully.

Ichigo grunted and averted his gaze, remembering the warning he gave to the captains. "Don't worry about it, Inoue."

She beamed up at him, nodding obediently. "You're right! There's nothing to worry, is there? The Hougyuko is gone and everyone is alright."

"Yeah…" Ichigo lifted a hand to rub the back of his head. "Are you ready to go? I'll walk you home."

Orihime felt her cheeks flush. Her hands moved in front of her in a blur. "Y-You don't have to! I don't want to burden you and –"

He waved a negligent hand. "It's not a burden, Inoue. Come on," Orihime attempted to dissuade him again but a booming voice interrupted her.

"Inoue-dono," Tessai interjected, hands clasped together in front of his chest. The two teenagers jumped in surprise. "Would you like to have some snacks before you go?" The auburn-haired girl blinked up at him. "I'm sure you'll like my freshly baked muffins with red bean paste inside!"

"Ah! Tessai-san, that sounds amazing!" She turned to a frowning Ichigo. "Ano, Kurosaki-kun, is it alright if we stay for a few minutes?" She smiled sheepishly. "I really want to try Tessai-san's muffins. I'm sure they taste good and we should not waste good food, right?"

Ichigo's frown was thoughtful. "Tatsuki might get worried and… Alright," He conceded at Orihime's subtle pleading look. The smile he got in return made the corner of his mouth to quirk in a shadow of a smile.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun! I'll be very quick!" Beaming, she followed the tall man, waving her arms excitedly while talking. Ichigo sighed and glanced at the sinkhole.

"Weird, huh?" Shinji commented nonchalantly, arms crossed behind his head. Ichigo nodded, scowl deepening as he remembered how weird it felt when he watched Orihime and her technique. When he looked at Shinji, he realized the Vizard was not talking to him but to the blond ex-captain. What made it weird was the unusual grave expression Shinji was wearing. The blond Vizard looked unperturbed in general, but there was a faint look of vague suspicion and contemplation in Shinji's eyes as he stared at Urahara, who was scrutinizing the sinkhole Orihime had made.

Shinji rolled his eyes and started to leave, muttering under his breath. He walked past Urahara, paused and looked over his shoulder to Ichigo.

"Oi, Berry boy, don't slack off, yeah?" Shinji's mouth curved in his usual lipless grin, though, his eyes were narrowed. "Orihime-chan is very special." He drawled. At this, Urahara turned slightly to look at Shinji. Yoruichi remained quiet in the background, watching the three males attentively. "Watch over her _very_ carefully. She is very interesting and there are _people_," He enunciated the last word dramatically, "Who'd want to get their paws on her."

Yoruichi raised a brow. Ichigo, on the other hand, didn't like the way Shinji choose his words, but he knew he was right.

"I know." He said gruffly. "You don't have to remind me." However, it didn't stop him from imagining hands hovering over the innocent girl. Ichigo shook his head to get rid of the morbid image.

Shinji smirked, this time, his expression switched back to his familiar annoying countenance.

"Later," The blond turned and walked off, waving a hand casually.

_,_

Orihime was blissfully humming, swaying from side to side as they walked. Ichigo decided it was safer if he stood between her and the road for she had tendencies, as he observed, to wander off to the road while talking about random things.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked happy now, carefree. However, he had noticed before how anxious she was when she saw the sinkhole. Her anxiety had become more palpable when the female captain started talking to her. Perhaps, she was still uncomfortable about topics related to Hueco Mundo or was she scared of Soul Society? She had the right to be. After all, Ulquiorra made a perfect charade.

Still, Ichigo wanted to know what made Orihime leave. How did they find her? Did they threaten her? If yes, then why didn't she tell him, her friends? This worried him: what kind of threat did they use to persuade Orihime? Did something happen that she did not want to share? This was _Inoue_, after all. She was the type of person who'd rather deal with her own problems that share them, never wanting to burden those close to her. She was good with hiding her feelings, he can tell.

But then, what gave him the right to know her feelings? They were never close. Though, they were getting there – slowly, surely. However, it was still uncomfortable asking her if there was something wrong, if there was something she'd like to share. He did not want to invade her privacy. He did not want Orihime to feel intimidated. Sure, he can bully others, but Orihime, she was different. Maybe because a person with a face like hers was not supposed to mingle with a person like him. But she, she _really _was different – what made her different remained unclear at this point.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

He blinked, "huh?" Amber eyes met confused, worried grays.

She cocked her head to the side. The strings of her knitted cap were loose. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah." He threw his bag over his shoulder. "Nothing's wrong." He lied.

A small blush crept up over her cheeks. "You were… You were staring at me."

It was his turn to blush in embarrassment. _Damn._

"Actually," he began stiffly. Orihime looked at him attentively. Ichigo sighed. "It's just, "he paused. "You look happy."

Orihime blinked, surprised, halting her walk. Ichigo stopped as well. "Oh." She giggled softly. "Is it weird?"

He looked away, sinking his chin onto his scarf. "I don't know what you went through in that place but I know…"

"_I bet you didn't even know what's going on inside her."_ Grimmjow's sneering voice drawled in his ear. His face darkened, jaw clenching. He looked back to her, finding her looking up to him. He sighed and forced himself to calm down.

"Something happened _there, _Inoue. Something happened and you don't want to tell us. You didn't deserve what happened, what you saw and I'm sorry." He added stiffly, a sudden feeling of tightness enveloped him, narrowing his vision. "I should have protected you more and –"

"Kurosaki-kun," a tentative gloved hand touched his arm. He blinked and his vision cleared. He looked into her eyes and he found it easier to breathe.

"It's not your fault. It was my decision to go there. Yes, it was scary…" Her face tightened and he had a vague feeling that she was remembering what happened on the dome, what she saw – his _hollow form_. "But Kurosaki-kun, you came – all of you came to save me. Everyone fought and got hurt, and I'm so sorry for that. I," she smiled kindly, her eyes clear and wide, hopeful and strong and she… she, she was…

Ichigo did not know what to think, what to say but he was sure, so sure about something else that there was a strange feeling inside him that wanted to reach out and maybe, maybe hold her hand.

"I am forever grateful. Thank you, thank you so much." She continued, smiling brightly. The thickness of her flaming hair, scarf and knitted beanie with earflaps drowned her face.

He was grateful for the cold; he had an excuse for the sudden rush of blood on his face. The corner of his mouth lifted. "You stayed the same, you know. Despite of what happened, you didn't change."

She grinned. "It's weird, isn't it?"

"No. You're a strong person."

Orihime stilled, the grin melting off her face. "You think so?" Her eyes became solemn, clouded, suddenly so tired and so big. Oddly, Ichigo was reminded of those ridiculous children stories Yuzu always obsessed over when she was very young.

"Yeah, being strong doesn't mean brute strength, you know." He replied matter-of-factly, watching her face carefully.

Her brows lowered, making a straight line above her eyes. "But… I wish – I wish I could do more. I want to fight as well."

Ichigo frowned deeply at this. "Fight, like the way _we _fight?" She did not respond but it gave him the impression that she meant it that way. "Inoue, healers don't fight. They heal."

She still looked unconvinced, turning her face away. He frowned at her continued silence. "Inoue?"

"All I do is watch you fight." Her voice was quiet, soft.

"At least you're _there._" She peeked at him from underneath her lashes. "I could not afford to lose when you're watching, could I? Not after I promised to protect you."

Her lower lip quivered, her expression pinched. "K-Kurosaki-kun…"

Ichigo felt like he was digging his own grave. This had the potential to be vastly embarrassing. Words were never his strong suit. But he started this, and he'd have to wrap this up _nicely. _He cleared his throat.

"I'm not good with words. But we're a team here. We have different roles. You heal, I fight. Just because you don't fight the way _we_ do, it does not mean you're useless."

Several emotions played over her face. "You _always _try to protect me… I don't want you to protect me all the time because –" She cut off abruptly, turned away and tried to walk off but Ichigo took her wrist and held her back.

"That stung." Surprisingly, it did. He'd be lying if her statement didn't hurt. He didn't know why, but it stung.

Surprised honey-colored eyes looked up to him. "…?"

"What's wrong with me wanting to protect you, Inoue?" There were an accusatory hint and a speck of hurt lacing his tone but he ignored the feelings – _forcefully_. Did she stop believing in him? Was that why she did not want his protection anymore?

The girl looked confused, lost as she stammered. "I… I don't… I don't want you to get hurt." She looked down to the ground, a sheet of auburn hair falling, hiding her face.

Ichigo stared at her and shook his head. "I know you're scared of me getting hurt." He saw her thin shoulders stiffen. He sighed, slowly releasing her wrist. "Look," he looked down at her bowed head, several lock of orange hair falling over his intense eyes. "Just trust me. I just want _you_ to trust me. If you do, it's enough." He stared at the top of her beanie and said quietly, "You trust me, don't you?"

Orihime looked up. "I do! I trust you, Kurosaki-kun."

The corner of his mouth kicked up in a small smile. "Good." She tried to smile back, but she blinked repeatedly, her face wrinkling as if she was trying to stop herself from crying. This didn't go unnoticed, however. Alarmed, Ichigo started to panic.

"H-Hey, d-don't… Don't cry!"

"I- I'm not crying!" She chirped, smiling and sniffling. "I-I have s-something in my eye, that's all!" She hurriedly turned her face away from his gaze, shoulders hunched.

Ichigo pretended not to notice when she lifted her small hands to hurriedly wipe her cheeks.

"Kurosaki-kun is right." She said brightly as soon as she recovered. "I'm just being silly, aren't I?" She looked up to him, giving him a watery smile.

"Yeah, you are." He smirked crookedly. Then, he frowned slightly, as if he recalled something important. "And if there's something you'd like to talk about, you can talk to me. I'll listen."

"O-Oh!" Orihime beamed at him shyly. "Thank you, that's very kind of you b-but I really don't want to burden you with –"

"There you go again." He scolded as gently as his gruff voice can. "It's not a burden. But you're not obliged to tell me everything. You can tell me whenever you're ready and I'll listen, okay?"

She smiled radiantly up at him and nodded, "H-Hai!"

Ah, that smile again. Confused, Ichigo chose to dismiss the unfamiliar pull he felt toward that smile and walked past her, gesturing with his free hand to her to follow him. "Come on. Hurry up. You have to start on your missed assignments."

.

.

.

* * *

**disclaimer.** BLEACH belongs to KT/WSJ.

**title. **to heart**  
summary.** "You trust me, don't you?"**  
notes. **yosh! new chapter *flails* ah, very difficult chapter! i apologize for this late update; i'm typing the rest of the story and hopefully, i'll be able to finish this fic this year! also, thanks so much for your time to read and thank you for your reviews that help me to focus (since i posses an unhealthily poor attention span so, yes, thanks for your time!) on this project :D totally off topic: i miss Orihime D: come back, Orihime!


	14. to stand two steps behind

"I gave you three full weeks to finish all the schoolwork you have missed, didn't I? You have two more weeks to finish." Ochi-sensei reminded Orihime.

"Hai," Orihime beamed, "I'll do my best, sensei."

"Good, it would be odd to hold you back for a year. You're a good student."

Orihime was about to reply when the door slid open rather roughly, revealing a disgruntled Ichigo. Orihime looked at him, looking confused and worried.

"Yohoo, Kurosaki!" Ochi-sensei pointed a finger at him. "Why aren't you late or better, absent?" Ichigo grunted and carefully slid the door close. He gave Inoue a bit of a taut smile as he passed.

"As I was saying before I was _so _rudely interrupted, I want you to do your best, Inoue. Off you go!"

Orihime bowed quickly, heading to her desk as the rest of students made their way to their seats at Ochi-sensei's command. She glanced at the direction of Ichigo's desk and surveyed him for a while. He must have felt her stare for he lifted his head to her direction and stared back quizzically. Orihime felt her face warm as she smiled shyly, quickly stepping towards her desk, sitting down and hiding her red face behind a textbook.

The day dragged on slowly, rather tediously for some students but not for Orihime. Truthfully, she felt overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork she had to finish. She took a quick lunch and spent the rest of the lunch period scribbling and reading past lessons to catch up. When the bell rang signaling the end of the day, Orihime told Tatsuki that she had to stay after school hours.

"Don't worry about me, Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime comforted her worried best friend when Tatsuki expressed her concern. "I'm going to be fine. I promise."

Tatsuki was eyeing her with a worried frown. "Alright," she conceded reluctantly. The past traumatic experience of finding Orihime gone was still fresh, but Ichigo told her before that the threat to Orihime's safety was already exterminated. "I taught you karate moves, right? Don't hesitate to use them if necessary."

"Oh, violence would not solve anything, Tatsuki-chan! Besides, I can run very fast, just like this superhero I saw last night in this new television show –"

"OK, OK, be careful, kiddo. See you tomorrow,"

"Hai! Bye, Tatsuki-chan!" She watched her best friend leave the room. Smiling, she opened a thin practice problem booklet for a last minute review.

"Inoue," The girl looked up, slightly startled.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, you're still here," Orihime breathed out, slightly flushed.

"Yeah," the boy shrugged, zipping up his jacket. He eyed her curiously. "Why are you still here?"

"I have to take make-up tests today." She answered cheerfully.

The corner of his lips twitched at her enthusiasm. "How many make-up tests do you have to take?"

Orihime held up nine fingers. She laughed when his scowling face scrunched up. "But today, I'm going to have two! I'll take the rest of the exams later on! I'm glad that our teachers are considerate enough to give me second chances. If I don't take make-up tests, the school board might hold me back for a year."

Ichigo snorted, glaring. "They should be considerate. It's not your fault if you got cooped up in the hospital." He gazed at the piles of paper and notebooks she had on her table. "Do you need help, Inoue?"

Color rose to her cheeks. "H-Help?" she squeaked, wide-eyed. Ichigo raised a brow quizzically at her blushing face. "O-Oh, thank you so much for the o-offer but it's okay! I mean, it's not necessary!" Her hands were almost a blur in front of her red face. "I don't want to bother you!"

"Inoue, it's not a bother. But yeah," he scrunched up his face. "I'm not the best person to help you; after all, you're smarter than me. But I can walk you home after your make-up tests."

His offer caused her blush to darken into deep magenta, prompting a look of curiosity from Ichigo. "B-But Kurosaki-kun, I –"

"You don't want me to walk you home?"

She stood up quickly, flailing her arms, flustered. "Ah! No, no! I like walking home with Kurosaki-kun –" Realizing how it sounded, Orihime grew redder and she became more flustered. "What I'm trying to say is I-I don't want Kurosaki-kun to wait for me! I-It's embarrassing! I'm sure your sisters miss you a lot and –"

"Inoue," Ichigo interrupted.

"Um, y-yes?" she stuttered.

"Calm down."

Orihime clasped her hands in front of her chest. "O-Okay! S-sorry I got carried away." She breathed out shyly, smiling sheepishly.

Ichigo shrugged. "Don't worry about it. But you're going home later than usual. Tatsuki, she's waiting for you, right?"

She shook her head. "She has karate practice and she received a phone call from her mother, saying she is needed at home after her practice." The scowl on his face deepened. Orihime saw this. "I'm going to be fine!" She chirped. "Tomorrow, Tatsuki-chan and I will walk home together. This is not the first time so I'm going to be okay." She smiled to reassure him; she knew he was worrying over her. She can read his scowl well.

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled, averting his gaze. "I don't want you to feel like I'm stalking you or something. It's just…" He shrugged. "You can't blame me for being a little paranoid," he gave a lopsided half-smile, "You have a bad habit of leaving without saying anything,"

Orihime laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "I understand, Kurosaki-kun." She looked up at him, beaming. "Thank you! You're such a good friend." She saw him still, his gaze narrowing. Orihime cocked her head to the side. He was looking at her, a thoughtful frown on his face, and she, in turn, was staring at him curiously. He…

Why was he looking at her like _that_? Orihime wondered.

And this silence, what a weird silence, she thought, weird but nice. It was as if the world had stopped for a precious _one second_. It was a strange calmness, the moment precious and transient.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

_,

Ichigo blinked.

Orihime was looking up at him, her big eyes curious and worried. "Are you okay?"

He averted his gaze, faking a cough to hide his suddenly pink cheeks with his fist. "I'm fine." He told her, his frown deepening. He cleared his throat forcefully, ignoring the dull constricting of his chest. "Good luck, Inoue." He said, distracted. Orihime still looked worried and also, like himself, confused, but she smiled and thanked him.

"Don't run. The roads are slippery." He added, turning to go.

"OK! Thank you. Be careful on your way home, Kurosaki-kun."

Looking over his shoulder, he favored her with a small, distracted smile. He was still recovering from _that _weird feeling – the funny, but heavy flutter of his heartbeat, the weird sensation in his stomach, this, this strange, strange feeling that made his palms sweat, made his throat dry. When he refocused his gaze and attention, he found Orihime looking at him quizzically and he cursed himself. He should leave now, and fast. This feeling – it was confusing, overwhelming and frustrating. The best thing to do, at this moment, was to ignore it, repress… bury – _anything._

He gave a short wave and immediately turned away, striding out of the room.

_,

_What the hell was that?_

He grumbled, his frown darkening.

"_You're such a good friend."_

Ichigo paused, scowled at his old chucks and resumed walking.

_,

_Math – check… Geography – check… finish my Science paper today, then, study for tomorrow's make-up tests in Math and Social Studies… _

Her attention, however, was diverted when from the corner of her eye Orihime saw a shock of orange hair, a broad shoulder, strong jaw. _What a strange look… _She thought, remembering what transpired yesterday.

_Hmm… English assignment… What's next? _

The sound of the bell for dismissal jolted Orihime out of her mental skimming. Quickly but very carefully, she gathered her things and stuffed them inside her schoolbag. "Bye, Tatsuki-chan! See you tomorrow!" Orihime cautiously dodged Chizuru's arms and ran towards the door. Tatsuki waved while Ichigo, with raised brows, watched Orihime bolt out of the room.

"Where is she going?" asked Ichigo, looking at Tatsuki frowningly.

"Library," the dark-haired girl answered.

The frown deepened. "Is she going to stay behind?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Tatsuki made a face. "Man, the amount of schoolwork she has to finish is insane. I hope she can finish them in time."

"Why can't she finish them in her apartment? That way she doesn't have to stay after school hours."

Tatsuki shrugged. "She said something about being tempted to watch her favorite comedies. Plus she needs some books from the library as references."

"Is she going home alone?" Ichigo asked again. Tatsuki raised a brow at him but nevertheless, she answered his question.

"Alone and late," Tatsuki replied. "I have karate practice and I have to be at home before six because my dad's out of town; my mom wants me to be there to stay with her." She narrowed her eyes, facing the boy fully. "You have so many questions, Ichigo. I am surprised."

The boy ignored the last statement, his scowl deepening. Reaching behind him, he grabbed his bag, told Sado to leave without him before making his way to the door.

"Oi!" Tatsuki called after him. Ichigo frowned at her over his shoulder, a hand resting on the door. "Where are you going?" asked Tatsuki; Sado and Ishida, who were standing in the background, had the same question.

Ichigo shrugged. "Wait and walk her home." Tatsuki's brows went up; Sado and Ishida were surprised, too. This was… interesting.

"Oi, what's with that look?" demanded Ichigo, irritated. Did he say something wrong?

"It's my face; I have every right to do whatever I want with it." Tatsuki snapped. "I am amazed that you have a chivalrous bone in your body."

Ichigo snorted. "Are you done insulting me?"

"I haven't even started," answered Tatsuki. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Just like you, I'm Inoue's friend. This is normal, right?"

"Duh, have you walked me home before?" Tatsuki asked, causing Ichigo to lift a brow. "Have you walked _anyone _home? Heck, you don't even walk _Sado _home."

Ichigo shrugged, "Chad is not as clumsy and accident prone as Inoue." Tatsuki opened her mouth but he continued, "And no one's going to try and grope him, right?"

"Fine," Tatsuki conceded. "No funny business, got it?" She called out after Ichigo's retreating back.

_,

"Yosh!" Orihime quietly cheered as she gathered her papers and stored them inside an envelope. She checked her wristwatch – _mou, I'm late for Laugh Hour, _she thought with a small pout. After gathering her things, she stood up, put the chair back to its place and left the desk.

The library was well-lit and quiet, with few students occupying the tables. Some were alone while others had study partners. Humming quietly, she stepped out of the library.

"Done?"

Jumping in surprise, Orihime let out a startled squeak, hands flailing.

"Oi, calm down."

Wide-eyed and hands in front of her chest, the auburn-haired girl whipped her head around. Seeing a shock of orange hair and a pair of intense brown eyes, Orihime gasped, "K-K-Kurosaki-kun!"

Leaning against to a wall next to the door, Ichigo stared back at her lazily, arms folded.

Still wearing a shocked expression, Orihime asked. "W-What are you doing here?"

Ichigo pushed himself off the wall and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Are you done?"

"Yes, but what are you —"

"Let's go." Orihime looked confused as the boy walked past her, but followed him, trying to catch up with Ichigo's longer steps.

"Umm, Kurosaki-kun," He acknowledged her by turning his head to her. "What were you doing outside the library?"

The boy stiffened for a second before shrugging, looking forward again. "I was bored." He replied nonchalantly when they reached their shoe lockers.

"And…?" prompted Orihime.

A brief silence, then, "And… I needed to stretch."

There was another abrupt silence before, "In a hallway… outside the library_…_" Orihime said slowly.

Ichigo's eye twitched. "Yeah." He took out his chucks from the locker, crouched down with his back on her and wore them. "It was relaxing there."

Orihime kept frowning curiously but she nodded and smiled. She was, however, tempted to ask why the back of his ears were red. She wore her shoes and rewrapped herself in her coat, scarf, mittens and hat.

They stepped outside of the schoolyard, the air chilly. Curious at her strange silence, Ichigo glanced at Orihime from the corner of his eye. With a grunt, he took her arm and pulled her toward his chest. Orihime gasped and looked up to him, wide-eyed. Ichigo averted his gaze, stepped away from her and dropped her arm.

"You're going to hit a lamppost." He explained.

"Oh…" Orihime gave a small laugh. "Thank you! I got lost in my thoughts…"

"What's wrong?"

Instantly, she blushed, flustered. "N-Nothing…"

"Inoue," Ichigo dragged out. "What is it? Is someone giving you problems?"

The girl shook her hands in front of her face. "I-It's nothing! Really…" She became even more flustered as Ichigo narrowed his eyes. She pouted and said, "Um, just wondering…"

"About what?" asked Ichigo, genuinely interested. Their pace had become comfortably slower with Ichigo slightly two steps ahead of her.

Orihime frowned contemplatively. "There is someone I can't remember talking to who approached me today in the library." She began. "He –"

Ichigo almost instantly stopped in his tracks. "Who is it?"

Orihime blinked, startled, stopping as well_. _"… I don't know. I haven't talked to him before…" She wrinkled her brows in contemplation. "But he keeps asking questions –"

"What kind of questions?" Ichigo still had not turn around to face her.

"Like, if he can have my cell-phone number and –"

This time, Ichigo turned around _so _fast it startled Orihime. "What did you say?" he demanded.

Orihime blinked, surprised at the rather furious look on Ichigo's face. What did she say to induce such reaction? She could not remember saying anything remotely offensive. She said something about the boy asking for her number, but surely, it was not something to be furious about.

"Inoue," he growled when she did not answer right away.

The girl jerked back in reality. "Oh, I said I don't have a cell phone and that cell-phones confuse me a lot!" She answered promptly. The furious look did not disappear. Instead, he looked even more infuriated as he folded his arms over his chest with a grunt, his glare growing even more ominous. Orihime decided to stay quiet, examining Ichigo's glowering face. What did she say to make him glower like that? She opened her mouth to ask him but the boy abruptly turned away.

"Let's go." He grunted. Orihime obediently followed him, keeping her mouth closed even when they walked past his block. When Ichigo ruthlessly kicked a small wooden crate out of his way, Orihime bravely but timidly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kurosaki-kun, is there something wrong?"

He grunted as a reply and turned his face away. Orihime frowned worriedly at his reaction. Unfazed, she tried again. "Are you okay?"

No response.

"Are you angry?"

His stiff shoulders seemed to relax at this point. He stopped and turned his face slightly to her. "Sorry," he mumbled stiffly. "I was angry at something else." He grunted, still wearing a look on his face as though he was constipated.

Orihime nodded in understanding. "It must be really annoying, hmm, Kurosaki-kun?"

A muscle on his jaw jumped as he growled between clenched teeth. "It was." Orihime stared at him questioningly but did not further question him about the subject. "Don't worry about it." He looked at her, his frown less ominous, tone gentler. "And there is nothing for you to wonder about. Whatever it is the guy is trying to do, it doesn't mean anything."

* * *

**disclaimer.** BLEACH belongs to KT/SJ.

**title. **to stand two steps behind**  
summary.** This feeling, it was confusing, overwhelming and frustrating.**  
**


	15. to ask you to stay

"Ohayo, Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue carefully slid the door close behind her before heading to her desk.

"Oi," Tatsuki watched Orihime pull off her knitted mittens, and shed her scarf and coat. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold. Tatsuki dragged a chair, placed it beside Orihime's desk and sat down.

"The weather forecast said that the cold weather will persist until the middle of February." Orihime was staring outside. Tatsuki turned her head and watched the slow descent of snowdrops, the sleeves of her sweater rolled up to her elbows. The scenery provided feelings of ease and peace.

"Are you done with your assignments?" asked Tatsuki.

Orihime's expression slightly fell as she faced her best friend. "Not yet~" she answered with a small pout, planting her elbows on the desk as she squished her cheeks. "My to-do list is still long but," she gestured with her hands, and then, curled them into fists in front of her face. "I'm sure I'll be able to finish them before the deadline!"

Tatsuki nodded and smirked teasingly. "So," she began, "Ichigo waited for you and walked you home yesterday, didn't he?"

Orihime blinked innocently which surprised Tatsuki. Orihime looked relatively normal – not her usual stammering, blushing self when the topic centered on her long-time crush.

"No."

The answer astonished Tatsuki. "But he…"

Orihime smiled. "It was a coincidence, Tatsuki-chan! He didn't wait for me. He said he was bored and he needed to stretch –"

"_In a library_?" interrupted Tatsuki incredulously.

"Actually, he was in a hallway, outside the library." Orihime corrected.

Tatsuki's brow disappeared in her hairline. "Stretching— in a _hallway?_"

"Kurosaki-kun said the place was relaxing…" Orihime replied while taking out a textbook and a pencil, taking no notice of Tatsuki's incredulous look.

"Did he walk you home?" Tatsuki distinctly remembered Ichigo telling her he'd walk Orihime home.

Orihime's forehead wrinkled. "No."

Tatsuki stared. What happened to that interesting development? She thought with dismay as she listened to Orihime recount her story.

"_Ano, Kurosaki-kun, your street is over there, isn't it?"_

_Ichigo glanced over at her. "Yeah…" He replied and faced forward again, turning his face away from her. They continued walking, Orihime looking curious and half confused as Ichigo carried on._

"_But… Aren't you going back…? Your house is back there…"_

_There was a brief silence._

_Without looking at her, Ichigo said. "I have to buy something in a convenience store not far from your building."_

Orihime paused from relating the story, pressing the tip of her pencil to her chin. "But it's odd. I didn't know there's a store that near. I have to go and visit it sometimes!" Noticing her best friend's expression, she cocked her head to the side. "Eh, Tatsuki-chan, is there something wrong? You're wearing a serious face." Tatsuki blinked and refocused her gaze. Orihime looked concerned.

"Nothin'. I just remembered something." Tatsuki waved a hand dismissively. She leaned back to her chair and continued, "What are your plans for Valentine's Day?"

As expected, color filled Orihime's cheeks. The girl fidgeted with her pencil, twirling it clumsily. The pencil fell to the desk with a dull sound, rolled and stopped two inches away from the edge of the table. "What about it, Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime moved to pick up the pencil but Tatsuki was quicker. Orihime raised her chin and looked at her best friend. Tatsuki wore her most serious face before speaking in a quiet, but firm voice.

"I want you to tell Ichigo about your feelings."

Orihime's eyes widened, almost filling her face. Her mouth dropped open but no words came out. Her lips moved like a gaping fish, her throat making odd, choking noise. "T-T-Tatsuki-chan!" She gasped loudly. Tatsuki noted the nervous movement of Orihime's eyes as she scanned their surroundings. Fortunately, the other students were preoccupied with their own businesses. Relieved, Orihime turned to Tatsuki with wide eyes.

"That's impossible! I-I can't," said Orihime, her face red. "Kurosaki-kun and I, we _are _friends."

Patiently, Tatsuki rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You have more complicated and deeper feelings for that idiot." Orihime went redder. "Sometimes, I wonder if you are really normal… to like that idiot."

"Tatsuki-chan…"

"Either way," Tatsuki continued, "I want you to be happy, you know. So, tell _him._"

Several students had walked in so Orihime had to be extra careful with the volume of her voice. "B-But I-I can't! Tatsuki-chan, it will… it will just complicate things. And…" Orihime held Tatsuki's gaze for several minutes before heaving a deep sigh. She looked outside the window. Few beams of sunlight were able to penetrate through the thick clouds.

"Falling in love with someone does not mean seeking reciprocation or commitment." She began softly. Tatsuki arched a brow curiously. "Sometimes, we have to be content with the bonds we have with other people. As long as we are connected, as long as the bond stays between Kurosaki-kun and I, I will be alright." Orihime looked at Tatsuki with a gentle smile.

Tatsuki was watching her, and then, she sighed deeply and gave up. Despite Orihime's gentleness, Tatsuki knew Orihime could be stubborn about some things. She should not bully her into telling her feelings for Ichigo, but she had the right to be frustrated with Orihime, hadn't she? Orihime can be unselfishly kind to others, but she was unnaturally cruel to her own self. Tatsuki hoped that someday, Orihime would pay more attention to her own needs and happiness. She was an intelligent girl but she tended to use her heart more than her brain.

With a sigh, Tatsuki said, "I know you have a big heart and you're patient and kind. But humans have limits. Even _you,_" A pensive wrinkle formed between Orihime's brows. "But you're a strong person and I should not worry too much, right?"

A smile replaced the wrinkle on Orihime's face. "Un! Don't worry about me, Tatsuki-chan!"

The sound of a sliding door opening caught their attention. Both Orihime and Tatsuki looked at the door. Ichigo walked in, scowling as usual, followed by Sado. The orange-haired boy was greeted loudly by Asano who came hurtling through the doorway. Orihime quickly looked down, busying herself by opening her textbook.

After knocking the loud boy off, Ichigo looked up, meeting Tatsuki's lazy gaze. Tatsuki nodded as a greeting to which Ichigo replied with a nod. His gaze shifted to the redhead. Hiding an amused smile, Tatsuki nudged the other girl's knee under the table; Orihime, however, determinedly remained looking down. Tatsuki repeated her action, this time harder. The other girl squeaked and looked up to give Tatsuki a beseeching look. The dark-haired girl ignored her by looking at something else.

"Oi, Inoue,"

Tatsuki hid a smirk when the redhead squeaked and jumped in her seat. "K-Kurosaki-kun!" She chirped. "G-Good morning!"

The boy gave a small half-smile before heading to his desk. Orihime ducked behind her upside-down textbook, blushing.

"Mouuu, Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime pouted, "That's mean~" Tatsuki rolled her eyes affectionately.

"You have to stop blushing, you know. It might—"

"GOOD MORNING, MY HIME –" Chizuru's enthusiastic greeting was interrupted when Tatsuki callously lifted her fist, hitting Chizuru's jaw and sending her flying away from the oblivious Orihime.

"Go talk to the wall." Tatsuki grunted.

_,

Brown boots stopped in the middle of the snow-covered sidewalk.

Ichigo grumbled something inaudible against his scarf. With a scowl, he looked up; the temperature in Karakura had decreased dramatically. Snowstorms were rare but the weather can be bitingly cold.

He zipped his jacket up to his chin and shoved his gloved hands inside the pockets of his navy blue, thick coat. His bright hair stood out in the white backdrop like a neon light, a warning. With a grunt, he continued on. People passed, people with places to go to, people with no places – or no home – to go to.

He stopped in front of a convenience store. This was the place Yuzu told him to go to. Yuzu was specific about it; it was, according to her, the only place that carried the specific brand of cocoa she deemed the best. He stepped closer to the electronic sliding doors, but he paused. A frown wrinkled his forehead as he turned his head to the right. This reiatsu, it was familiar.

"Inoue."

A head lifted from a bundle of thick scarf surrounding a fragile neck.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

_,

Twenty two minutes previous.

The clock on the familiar wall said seven fifteen. The ticking sounds filled the silence of the square room. The television was switched off; Enraku sat quietly on a low table.

Head bent over her low table, Orihime was busy, exhausted and hungry. Several textbooks were opened before her; a neat stack of paper sat on the left of the table. The pencil made familiar scratching noises, marching in cadence with the ticking of the clock and falling of snow outside. Her eyes moved from the opened textbook to the notebook where her pencil scratched on. Every now and then, a wrinkle will form between her brows.

Five seconds passed.

She stopped, lifted a free hand from the table and rubbed her temple with the fingertips. She peered up to the clock, checked how many pages she had to read for her Geography make up test tomorrow and picked up her pencil to scribble a note on a page, but a grumble of protest from her stomach distracted her.

Five minutes later she was standing outside her apartment, wearing a green coat with large white buttons, a knitted scarf dotted with green circles, white knitted hat with earflaps and a pompom on top, and pale green mittens. On the way to the store where she frequently bought groceries, she pondered on what to buy. She kept her gaze down, her chin behind her scarf.

…_hm?_

This reiatsu, this scent, she thought, they were familiar.

"Inoue."

She looked up.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

_,

The electronic sliding doors slid open.

Ichigo and Orihime entered; Ichigo pulled the zipper of his jacket down, slid off his gloves and loosened the scarf around his neck; Orihime unbuttoned her coat and took off her mittens.

At the same time, they looked at each other.

Ichigo spoke first. "I'm going this way." He gestured with his hand. Orihime smiled.

"I'll be over there, Kurosaki-kun." She pointed.

Ichigo nodded and watched Orihime walk away. He watched her, for how long, he did not know. The sliding doors opened behind him and a customer walked in, blocking his view of Orihime. He headed to the shelf of cocoa. After a few minutes, he found the brand Yuzu wanted, checked the expiration and went to the register to pay for his purchase. He decided to wait for her, but later changed his mind.

It was easy to find her; her bright hair under her hat gave away her location. She was standing in front of a shelf of milk; she appeared to have reading the nutrition box of a carton of low-fat milk. There was a frown on her face. She put the carton back to its place and picked another one, a carton of regular milk.

Orihime turned her head to his direction. "Oh," she returned the milk on the shelf and picked up the shopping basket from the floor. "I'm sorry. Did I make you wait?" she asked, concerned.

"No," Ichigo replied. "I just decided to look for you." He looked at the contents of her shopping basket: onion, leek, a loaf of bread, and butter. "What are you planning to make?"

She beamed excitedly. "Onion with leek and butter sandwich~!" she announced enthusiastically. Ichigo raised a brow.

"That's your dinner?"

"Un!" Orihime chirped blushingly. "I know it's not much but these are what I can afford for now! The ingredients are inexpensive but I'm sure they're healthy!" She rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish chuckle. "They're weird combination but they're delicious when put together! I have some leftover mayonnaise and pickles, and green tea at home so I'm going to be fine!" Beaming one last time, Orihime went to the cashier and Ichigo followed her. They rewrapped themselves in their winter garments and stepped out of the store.

Orihime gazed up to the sky with smile before glancing over at Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun, I'll see y –"

"There's a ramen shop near here." Ichigo said, cutting her off quietly. Orihime blinked up at him curiously. He wasn't looking at her but at the busy sidewalk across the road. "Chad and I know the owner."

Orihime tilted her head to the side curiously.

Slowly, with measured motions, Ichigo hid his chin and cheeks behind his scarf, still gazing at the footpath. "It's still open." He looked at her from the corner of his eye and made a quick gesture with his head before turning to go. "Let's go."

Confused, Orihime had no choice but to follow. Ichigo appeared to be in a hurry, thus, she walked faster, trying to catch up with him, but the ground was slippery due to accumulated snow and as expected, she lost her balance, squeaking as quietly as she could. Alert at all times, Ichigo sensed danger and turned around quickly. He grabbed her wrist and righted her effortlessly.

"Hey, be careful."

"S-Sorry!" Orihime squeaked, blushing.

Ichigo withdrew his hand. "It's OK. We'll walk slower, alright?"

After a few minutes, they reached the ramen stand. Steam came out from every space of the humble shop. Ichigo parted the short curtains and let Orihime pass under his raised arm. Large, curious eyes looked around the small space and bright yellow colors. A continuous sound of something sharp hitting wood filled the place. It stopped when a tall man in mid-fifties looked up from his chopping board. He raised one bushy brow.

"Kurosaki!" the man's large booming voice matched his burly frame. He shared almost the same body structure with Tessai, Orihime noticed. "Here for a beer?"

Ichigo scoffed. "You crazy? I'm underage!"

The man snorted. "I forgot. You're an honorable delinquent." Beady dark eyes met curious honey-colored eyes.

Orihime smiled brightly. "Good evening!" She greeted with a bow. The man scrutinized the bright-haired girl before him before addressing Ichigo.

"Where did you get _that_?" The man asked, pointing a large butcher knife at Orihime who eyed the shining metal with wide eyes.

"This is Inoue – and _don't _point that thing at her!"

The owner shrugged and continued chopping. Ichigo sat down on a stool, pulling off his scarf, gloves and unzipping his jacket. He placed the small package for Yuzu on the counter. "I want beef ramen." He looked at Orihime who was still standing. Ichigo raised a brow. "What are you doing? Sit down, Inoue." He pointed at the stool next to him. For some reason, she blushed brightly at this.

"Um…"

"What ramen do you want? Beef's good, there is pork and vegetable ramen, too. Do you like miso?"

"A-Ano, Kurosaki-kun… I-I," her cheeks were almost magenta now. "I don't have extra money for this…" She mumbled very quietly, her thick lashes lowered over her eyes.

Still, Ichigo heard her. "It's my treat." He said matter-of-factly.

Behind the counter, the shop owner raised his brow, stopped chopping and looked up.

Orihime had blushed fifty times brighter than the previous one. Her hands were a blur in front of her bright face as she stammered. "Y-You don't have to, Kurosaki-kun! It's –"

Ichigo dismissed her stammering. "It's OK, Inoue."

"But –"

"Are you," The shop owner interrupted, "two in a date?"

Both redheads whipped their heads around to look at the older man, flushed and spluttering.

"S-Shut up! It's not – are _you_ stupid?" Ichigo yelled.

"Don't shout at me when I have the butcher knife in my hand, _boy._" Ichigo glared at the ominous pointed tip of the knife while Orihime stared at the large knife with mouth slightly open, eyes wide with something akin to wonder.

"Fine. Then don't say stupid things! You're embarrassing her!"

The older man snorted and lowered the knife. Muttering under his breath about psychotic ramen shop owners, Ichigo turned to Orihime.

"You OK?" he asked quietly. Orihime nodded smilingly. Ichigo smirked crookedly and gestured to her to sit down to which Orihime complied. "What ramen do you want? I have extra money so don't worry."

"But…" She bit her lip, frowning slightly. She appeared to be thinking hard and then, her face lit up. "Oh!" Ichigo glanced over at her, brow arched. "I'll pay you back tomorrow, Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo was startled. "Hey, you don't have to! I invited you," he added quietly, "Sort of."

Orihime shook her head. "I'll definitely pay you back," she insisted and smiled up at the ramen owner. "May I please have one beef ramen?"

"So polite," the man deadpanned. "One beef ramen coming right up,"

Ichigo jerked, irritated. "Hey! I ordered beef ramen too!"

"You can have the boring vegetable, punk."

"What! You–"

Orihime raised her hands. "P-Please don't fight. Ano, oji-san, I'll have the vegetable and you can give Kurosaki-kun beef ramen."

Ichigo straightened up and looked at Orihime in concern. "Inoue–"

"Fine, fine – _two _bowls of beef ramen coming right up. Happy now, punk?"

Ichigo grumbled something inaudible and glared at the older man who glared back before disappearing at the back of the shop. Beside him, Orihime giggled behind her small hand.

"I think he's very kind, Kurosaki-kun." The auburn-haired girl said cheerfully. Ichigo scratched the back of his head and smirked at her.

"Not really," he replied easily. "But he's easier to deal with than my dad."

Noticing the item on the table, Orihime politely inquired. "What did you buy in the store, Kurosaki-kun?"

"It's cocoa. Yuzu wants to drink hot chocolate and I got sent out of the house to get it."

Orihime smiled at him warmly. "Ah, Kurosaki-kun is so kind."

The compliment caused a small tinge of blush on Ichigo's cheeks. "Uh, not really. I don't have anything to do so I sort of agreed to go." The smile on her face got even wider and brighter that Ichigo could not help but to smile back a little. Her eyes were unnaturally limpid, Ichigo noticed. It was like gazing at the sky– a transparent clearness, transparent calmness. It soothed him, the way she looked at him like this.

_,

"I'm so full!" Orihime chirped, patting her stomach. "Thank you so much, Kurosaki-kun! You're too kind. I'll pay you back tomorrow, I promise!"

"No, you won't."

"But –"

"No buts, it's my treat. I invited you," Ichigo paused, eyes averted to the side. "No need to pay me back. It's insulting." He mock-huffed and folded his arms in front of his chest, feigning an irritated frown. Orihime pouted her pink lips and mirrored his stance, crossing her arms under her bust.

"Then… next time, it's going to be my treat!"

Ichigo blinked, his expression surprised. A strange look entered his eyes, transforming his whole face. "Next time…"

The smile on Orihime's face slowly melted, realizing what she had said. "O-Oh n-no! I-I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I-I… I didn't mean to imply —"

"It's settled, then."

Orihime stopped flailing in mortification, looking up to him with lips slightly parted. Ichigo still had the strange look on his face; however, it had become subtler. It was the same look he had a few days ago.

"Next time, it's your treat. Sounds fair, yeah?" A faint smile was playing at his lips.

Still blushing, Orihime nodded. "U-Un! It is!" She chirped. "I won't forget!"

"Sure, I'll remind you, though, if you did."

Orihime giggled. "Oh, we're here!" She pointed at her apartment complex. "Thank you so much for walking me home, Kurosaki-kun. I'm sorry you had to."

"Oi, don't apologize. It's OK." He paused, weighing his next words. "If you have no one to walk home with, if Tatsuki is busy with karate, I'll walk you home."

Orihime's eyes widened as she gawked at him, blushing brightly. Walking home… with Kurosaki-kun… A small part of her wanted to squeal in delight but another part of her, the larger part, was embarrassed. "B-But… It's not necessary! I'll be alright, I promise. I don't want to impose and—"

"I promised you that I'll protect you and it's final. Just because Aizen's gone, it does not mean you're not in any danger."

"But…" she protested weakly. "I don't want to be a burden…"

"Not this again." Ichigo groaned. "Inoue, you're not a burden. I know you're capable of protecting yourself. But we're friends, aren't we? We look after each other. That's we do."

Orihime nodded, smiling gratefully. "I understand. Thank you for explaining it well to me!"

Ichigo waved a hand. "Sure, now go. You might get sick."

"Hai! Please be careful on your way home, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime waved at him energetically. Ichigo responded with a small wave of his own and waited for her to enter her apartment before leaving. He was standing on their doorstep, preparing himself from his father's attack when he realized he was smiling to himself the entire time for no particular reason at all. The smile was replaced by a thoughtful scowl as his hand hovered in front of the knob. His inner monologue was interrupted when the door opened and a familiar shout of glee welcomed him.

"ICHIGOOOOOOO~!" Isshin squealed before tackling his son to the ground.

* * *

**disclaimer.** BLEACH (c) KT/SJ.

**title. **to ask you to stay**  
summary.** He was standing on their doorstep, preparing himself from his father's attack when he realized he was smiling to himself the entire time for no particular reason at all.**  
**


	16. to thank him properly

_I'm late, I'm late!_

Orihime panicked as she ran down the street, evading people and poles. For someone who was known to be clumsy, it was surprising that she had not lost her footing and crash on the ground with how fast she was going.

The familiar sight of Karakura High School ahead of her made her run faster, her long auburn hair whipping in the wind. She hurried to change shoes, climbed the stairs two steps at a time, apologizing to fellow students as she evade and ran past them. She reached her destination; with a yank, she slid the door open. Her classmates stopped chattering and turned to look at the opened doorway. A particular group of students standing near a window perked up and stared at the flushed and panting figure in the doorway.

"Inoue?"

The familiar voice caused Orihime to look up with surprise. Brown eyes widened in a surprised and pleased expression. "Kuchiki-san!"

_:_

Rukia was about to speak when Orihime engulfed her in a bear hug. Smiling almost affectionately, the dark-haired girl patted the back of Orihime's head.

"I'm so happy to see you, Kuchiki-san!" exclaimed Orihime.

Rukia smiled up at the taller beaming girl, "I'm glad to see you too, Inoue. Last time I saw you, you were in the hospital. Good to see you active and awake." She replied. The group was at the rooftop for the ten minute morning break. Half an hour ago, Ochi-sensei had arrived the moment Orihime mentioned Rukia's last name, cutting their reunion short.

"Un! I was really lazy, sleeping for months! That's why I have so many assignments and studying to do!" Orihime said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

Rukia shook her head. "You deserved that month-long rest, Inoue." She said, her expression uncharacteristically soft.

"What are you two doing here?" Ichigo demanded with a scowl. "What's going on?" At this, Orihime's forehead creased in worry as she waited for Rukia to explain.

"Nothing's wrong." Rukia said with a wave of a hand. "We are here as per Sou-taichou's order."

"Which is weird because even I was ordered to babysit this town," Renji added.

"And we don't belong to the same squad. We were specifically hand-picked by the Captain Commander himself." Rukia elaborated.

"I thought we're going to be suspended since we helped you guys rescue Inoue," Renji shrugged. "But looks like we were given a vacation, huh?" the redhead added with a grin.

Seeing Orihime's worried frown, Rukia elaborated. "Don't worry, Inoue. If there's something wrong going on, our captains would have informed us before sending us here." Orihime nodded slowly. "It would be just regular Hollow hunting for us. No big deal, okay?"

"O-Okay…" Orihime rubbed her hair as she smiled sheepishly at her friends. "S-Sorry, I got worried for no reason!"

"Don't apologize. It's one of your best qualities. You care so much." Ichigo said, hands inside his pockets as he shook his head. Orihime grinned nervously.

"Aww, you two are so cute." Tatsuki deadpanned with a bored expression. Ichigo's mouth turned down in a scowl immediately, glaring at Tatsuki. Tatsuki glared back, matching Ichigo's scowl. Standing between her friends, Orihime wearily glanced between the two, ready to play referee in case a verbal tournament took place.

Amused, Rukia smirked. "Anyway, Ichigo, I need a place to stay." This apparently stole Ichigo's attention.

"You are _not _going to stay with me." He hissed, glowering. "I'm leading a normal life now! Go stay with Urahara-san!"

Frowning, Rukia folded her arms in front of her chest. "Renji's going to stay there. Furthermore, I have a bed in your place. A very," as she said this, she was smirking at Renji who glowered back at her, "comfortable bed with pillows and blankets. And unlike some other people I know," Renji twitched at this, "I am _not _a freeloader."

Curious, Orihime watched Renji curl his lower lip in a quiet snarl.

"Who said you're not a freeloader?" snapped Ichigo.

_:_

"Four days to go and it's Valentine's day, Orihime." Tatsuki reminded her nonchalantly. Beside her, Orihime looked up in attention. Tatsuki shrugged, "Just reminding you, kiddo."

Orihime gazed off to the side, biting her lower lip.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's just chocolate. What could go wrong? It's not like you're asking him to marry you or something."

"T-Tatsuki-chan!"

The dark-haired girl grinned. "Why are you so flustered? What are you imagining just now?"

Orihime blinked, startled and blushed anew. "N-Nothing! O-Oh, right – I'm, I'm thinking about this new alien television show I saw last night!"

Tatsuki stared at her blankly; Orihime smiled crookedly.

Shaking her head, Tatsuki told her, "Orihime, I'm serious. Do it. I know you want to. You're just worried that it might make him uncomfortable. We're talking about Ichigo here – he's dense, insensitive. In short, he's an idiot. I bet he doesn't even know what the difference between a homemade chocolate and over-the-counter chocolate is!"

Orihime pouted. "It's so easy for you to say it, Tatsuki-chan!"

"Of course it is easy. I'm _not _the person here who is in love with an idiot."

Orihime sighed, shoulders slumping. "You're right, but still…" she said with a small pout. She swayed as she walked, pondering; then, she made a clumsy twirl, arms up at shoulder level. She was on her second spin when she became aware of a familiar reiatsu. _It's– oomph!_

She bumped into a wall; it was warm and the scent was wonderfully male. Stiff and wide-eyed, she looked up slowly, her eyes tracing the column of his throat exposed by the opened collar of his jacket, up to his chin, strong jaw and fiery amber eyes. Her lips parted in an expression of surprise and mortification.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime staggered back as soon as she realized their close proximity. Behind her, Tatsuki steadied her flailing best friend by holding Orihime's shoulders.

"Are you stalking Orihime?" Tatsuki deadpanned, eyebrows raised. Orihime squeaked, looking at her best friend over her shoulder with a mortified "Tatsuki-chan!"

Ichigo's face crumpled, brows furrowing. "What are you talking about?"

Orihime held up her hands in front of her. "O-Oh, Tatsuki-chan's joking! Right, Tatsuki-chan?"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and snorted, jerking her chin to the side. "This is your turn, Orihime. Don't forget what I told you about." Smiling slightly, Orihime nodded. She ventured forward, walking backwards as she waved at her friends.

"See you tomorrow, Tatsuki-chan, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Oi, don't walk that way, that's dangerous!" Ichigo said, brows furrowed. This caused Orihime to blush; with one last smile, she spun around and walked away, stepping on puddles on purpose, splashing her boots and navy blue pea-coat with melted snow. Quietly, Ichigo turned to go on his own way. He paused, however, in his third step, when he felt Tatsuki's eye on him. With a curious scowl, he looked over his shoulder and met Tatsuki's straight-faced gaze. Scowl deepening, he demanded, "What?"

Tatsuki responded by lifting a brow, her expression remained blank. "I'm trying to decode what made you _likeable._"

"Huh?" was Ichigo's dumbfounded reply. "Decode? Who the hell uses that _word _in a normal conversation?"

"Me, that's who, moron." Tatsuki replied with another eye-roll and turned to a corner, swinging her schoolbag over her shoulder.

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean? What are you trying to _decode_?"

Tatsuki carelessly waved a gloved hand without a word.

Ichigo grunted and glared after Tatsuki's back. _What the hell was that? _Unbidden, he glanced at the direction Orihime went, his frown deepening thoughtfully.

_:_

The next three days were a blur, both to Ichigo and Orihime. Ichigo, as usual, tried to balance his two lives, his life as a normal teenager and as a shinigami. With Rukia and Renji in Karakura, Ichigo did not have to cut classes and hurry off. Both Ishida and Sado benefited from the presences of their two soul reaper friends. Orihime had managed to finish her school works in three days, although she had two make-up tests to ace next week. Tatsuki reassured her that she will be fine – she was ranked as third in their class, with her brains, Orihime will do well with those tests.

The fourteenth of February came. As soon as Orihime arrived, Chizuru launched herself at the auburn-haired girl, nearly knocking the wind out of Orihime. Seeing Orihime struggle for air as the enthusiastic redhead squeezed the air out of her, Ichigo considered to intervene. Tatsuki, however, popped out of nowhere, yanking the redhead off Orihime with one haul. Ichigo winced when Honsho hit the wall and crumple.

Tatsuki led Orihime to her desk. "So, you actually listened to me." She said with a small grin. Orihime grinned back albeit nervously. Remembering the knack of Orihime putting strange ingredients in her meals, Tatsuki demanded, "Please tell me you made _normal _chocolate."

There was a dramatic gasp. Tatsuki furrowed her brows and looked over her shoulder. Apparently, Chizuru heard her remark and was now clutching her chest in despair.

"H-Hime… Hime baked a _homemade chocolate_?" She gasped, loud enough for the whole class to hear. Tatsuki's face instantly darkened. Ryo, Michiru and Mahana sighed; Chizuru, apparently, was _begging _to be mauled by Tatsuki. Concerned, the three girls looked at Orihime. True enough, the poor auburn-haired girl was red and horrified, uncomfortable with the attention. Ryo shook her head, while both Michiru and Mahana prepared to prevent Tatsuki from tearing Chizuru from limb to limb.

Gathered around Ishida's desk, the group of boys glanced at Tatsuki's group of friends. Keigo made a comment about Inoue making chocolate ("Oh my lucky day has come!") which was easily dismissed.

"Kurosaki,"

Ishida's voice snapped Ichigo out of his stupor. Bemused, he raised a brow at Ishida. "What?"

"You're spacing out."

"I'm not!" snapped Ichigo irritably, glowering, arms folded in front of his chest. Ishida merely raised a brow and shrugged. Five minutes before the morning bell, Rukia and Renji entered, bickering as usual. Their quarrel was cut short when their homeroom teacher arrived. With one last look over his shoulder to Orihime's direction, he sat down and brooded, staring absently at his opened book.

When the bell rang for lunch, everyone seemed to be sitting on a time bomb; the class jumped to their feet and several students flooded out of the room. Ichigo blinked at the commotion, confused. Upon reaching his epiphany, he glowered. Having two sisters – or a _sister _who was rather fond of this occasion, he was familiar with the event. He arched a brow when Ishida was approached by a girl. But what made his eyes go wide were the three girls who came up to Sado. Dumbfounded, he watched his best friend being showered with small bears and rectangular boxes. He winced when the girls squealed when Sado thanked them before scampering away, giggling. Catching Ichigo's eye, Sado flashed him a thumb's up sign. Ichigo smirked back, amused.

_:_

"Alright, ready?"

"U-Un!"

"Go!"

"…"

"Orihime?"

"T-Tatsuki-chan, I-I c-can't!"

Tatsuki put her hands on Orihime's shoulders. "Orihime, look at me and listen." The auburn-haired girl snapped in attention.

"You're a babe."

Orihime blinked obliviously. Tatsuki decided to be blunt.

"You're hot and you have breasts."

Orihime's jaw dropped in mortification and spluttered, but Tatsuki continued.

"Just look at him with those eyes of yours and he will be _dazzled._"

"T-Tatsuki-c-chan!" Orihime covered her face with the square box she was holding, her forehead as red as the stoplight. "P-Please stop talking about scandalous things!"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and shook Orihime. "You need to be more confident, Orihime. Be aggressive and _prowl._"

"P-Prowl…?"

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "In simpler terms," Tatsuki retracted her hands and put them on her hips. "Just do it, okay? It's not a big deal. You two are friends. It's normal for a friend to give her friend chocolates to show appreciation."

Orihime bit her lip and looked at the box wrapped in white tissue wrapper and thin red ribbon. Tatsuki was right; it was not as if she was going to confess. Giving Kurosaki-kun chocolates would also signify how much she appreciated his help for the past few months.

_This is my perfect opportunity to thank him properly._

She stroked the wrapper gently with the pad of her index finger. It was not much, compared to what he had done for her, but small, simple gestures were better than nothing, right?

"Alright, Tatsuki-chan," she said finally. Her best friend grinned.

"Good girl."

Tatsuki accompanied Orihime until they were at the foot of the stairs leading to the rooftop. They heard from the boy's conversation that Ichigo will be waiting at the rooftop for Rukia and Renji to talk about their patrol schedule. Tatsuki poked her shoulders and gently shoved her up to the first step of the stairs. Orihime glanced at Tatsuki worriedly but she nodded determinedly when Tatsuki gave her a thumb's sign.

'_Go.'_

Orihime smiled and went up.

_:_

Ichigo stood up from the bench against a wall and stretched, grunting as his muscles stretched and his joints popped. He faced the wired fence surrounding the rooftop with a scowl, waiting for his two friends. He was spinning his badge on top of his index finger when the door opened. He flicked the badge in the air and caught it with his palm before turning around.

"Inoue?" he mumbled, surprised. He put his badge back in his back pocket and waited for Orihime to approach him. She was smiling timidly, pink-cheeked. Her hands were behind her back. "Is there something wrong?" He advanced towards her, his tone edged with a hint of worry and fierceness. She stopped in mid-step, and Ichigo continued to walk towards her, frowning.

"Inoue, are you okay?"

"O-Oh, I'm fine!" she chirped and smiled.

Ichigo leaned back with a small smile. "Alright. Is there something you want to talk about?" He had not forgotten what he told her that she can talk to him if she wanted.

"N-Nothing, really! I just…" She trailed off and gazed off to the side, her cheeks pinker. Bemused, Ichigo watched her. Her long hair was softly swaying in the wind, sticking to her cheek. Thick lashes shielded her eyes from his scrutiny. Suddenly, she looked right at him, startling him with such force that he staggered backward with a step.

She gave a small smile, her arms slowly moving from behind her; Ichigo realized she was hiding something from behind her, and for a moment there, he let himself think that maybe, she had something she'd like to give to him.

"Kurosaki-kun, I just wanted to —"

Right at that moment, his badge chose to make a racket, startling both redheads.

"S-Shit!"

At the same time, Rukia and Renji appeared from behind the fence, both in their shinigami forms. They perched on the fence; Renji crouching, Rukia standing.

"Ichigo!" She bellowed, her small face in a frown, "Hollows!"

Ichigo cursed again, snatching his badge from his back pocket. Rukia waved at Orihime, telling her that everything will be alright before leaping off, followed by Renji. Ichigo turned to Orihime; she looked a little pale, her mouth turned down in a small expression of grimace and… Was it disappointment? Ichigo wondered. Her arms were once again tucked behind her tightly.

"Inoue, I –"

"It's okay! I-It's not very important." She said quickly, smiling, but it was not her usual smile. It looked forced, strained.

"We'll talk later, okay?" He said, having difficulty masking his irritation. If there was something he hated about Hollows aside from they were up to no good, it was their impeccable timing. He cursed again and pressed the badge on his chest. He caught his corporeal body and placed it on the bench, setting it up in a sitting position. After that, he leaped up to the top of the fence and glanced over at Orihime who was watching him.

"I'll talk to you later."

Not waiting for her response, he flash-stepped and was gone in a second.

_:_

With a sigh, she let her arms fall on her either side; a box, in a beautiful wrapper and red ribbon was in her right hand.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kurosaki-kun," she whispered softly, gazing up to the sky.

The door closed, footsteps were walking away.

A red ribbon stalked across the floor of the rooftop. Blown by the breeze, it flew upward towards the fence and got stuck in a wire. Small, almost insignificant, it continued to flutter in the wind.

Twenty minutes later, Ichigo reappeared, panting, crouching on the fence. Scowling, he lowered his gaze, concentrating on his breathing. A small movement caught his eye; a ribbon stuck in one of the wires.

The bell rang and he jumped on the floor to retrieve his body.

_:_

Twenty minutes previous, Orihime entered the room. Tatsuki was waiting for her at her desk, tapping the floor with her foot, while she stared outside the window. She felt Orihime's presence and she turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the box in Orihime's hand; it was unwrapped, the ribbon gone. She pushed herself off the wall and began to ask but Orihime shook her head; she did not look upset, but Tatsuki saw traces of disappointment in those kind eyes.

Orihime stood in front of her best friend, looking down at the box. Tatsuki stared; Orihime opened the box and there it was: a heart-shaped chocolate. Tatsuki fumed and wanted to ask, but Orihime took the chocolate out of the box and snapped it in halves. With a small grin, she gave the other half to Tatsuki who blinked and shook her head with a fond smile.

"You helped me make it."

Tatsuki arched a brow. "I didn't."

Shaking her head with a smile, Orihime said, "You lend me your mother's cookbook. And some equipment, too!"

"This, this is a normal chocolate, yeah?"

Orihime laughed and sat down behind her desk. "Un!" She sank her teeth on it and chewed delicately as if relishing the taste. Then, she said, "I didn't chicken out, if you're wondering." She started quietly.

Tatsuki nodded slowly. Orihime did not further elaborate. The bell rang and almost immediately, Ichigo and Rukia entered hastily. Tatsuki narrowed her eyes as she heard some of her classmates murmur. She saw Ichigo glanced at Orihime's direction, which the said girl did not notice for she was staring outside the window with great concentration while chewing.

Rukia came up to Orihime. "Inoue,"

"Ah, Kuchiki-san! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, sorry about what happened." Rukia lowered her voice. "Did Renji and I interrupt something while you and Ichigo were at the rooftop?"

"Oh," Orihime shook her head. "No, it's nothing important! What about the… Did someone get hurt?" Her eyes rounded with concern.

"It's okay, Inoue. There were five of them and two in other location. We had to split. But there are no casualties."

"I'm relieved." Orihime smiled and took another bite. "Oh, do you want some, Kuchiki-san?"

"Did you make this?" Rukia asked. Orihime broke off the bottom half of her chocolate and gave it to the smaller girl.

"Yeah, she did. She made it for someone." It was Tatsuki who answered. Orihime went pink but did not say anything, keeping her eyes downcast.

Rukia was confused. "You did…? What for?"

Tatsuki's smirk had widened; call it her woman's intuition or psychic powers whatever, she could sense Ichigo's gaze. "You know… When you like someone very, very, _very _much —"

"T-Tatsuki-chan!"

_:_

Tatsuki and Orihime conversed in the hallway. Rukia and Renji flanked them. Whatever it was they were talking about, it was lighthearted judging from the smirks and smiles on their faces.

Begrudgingly, Ichigo ventured forward, scowling. He did not know what went wrong today but he was _infuriated_. What made things even more irritating was that he was confused that he found it rather hard to look at Inoue – and to be more honest, he could not stand to be around her at this moment. He cringed at this line of thought; something was definitely wrong with him – Inoue was never the type of person who'd instigate ill feelings in him. She was gentle and kind to him. It was the _situation _which greatly annoyed him – a situation which he refused to name even inside his head.

He was snapped out of his morose thoughts when a foot stepped on his. He flinched, "W-What the hell was that for?" Rukia, ever so subtle, glared as a response.

"You look constipated."

Ichigo was not amused.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I'm going to meet Urahara-san. I'll see you later."

He grunted and turned to the opposite direction.

Rukia watched him, concerned. She did not know when exactly his sour mood began, but it had continued for the rest of the day. More surprising, when she tried to get a rise out of him, he did not fire back, only grunted and brooded even more.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue's small voice made Ichigo pause, but he did not turn to face her nor glance over at her. At this point, Rukia was sure, _there is definitely something wrong. _Ichigo rarely, or never, ignored Orihime. He hardly shared his problems, opting to solve them on his own, but whenever Orihime asked, he'd reply, albeit unsatisfactorily. At any rate, replying was better than ignoring Orihime.

It took several seconds for Ichigo to reply.

"Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?" Orihime asked softly.

The knot of tension clenching over Ichigo's shoulders slowly ebbed away. Still, his posture looked rigid than normal. Slowly, he turned around to face her. Orihime smiled kindly, and guilt punched him on the stomach with a force of a ten-wheeler truck. When he heard Tatsuki about Orihime and the chocolate she made for someone, he was surprised to feel resentment surge in him. What was wrong with him? What kind of friend he was to begrudge her happiness? She deserved nothing but good things in life. And to feel such negative emotion towards someone – to this faceless _person_ who happened to be the subject of Orihime's affection was so _unlike _of him.

He was just being his usual protective self, he reasoned with himself. Orihime had had a string of bad luck in her life and he would not allow another one to befall on her.

Yes, he was not _jealous – _oh, there, he finally acknowledged the dreaded terminology. He was _not_ jealous; he was _just _very, very concerned. He did not risk his life for her to get hurt by a random guy who – who'd be dissected by him with utmost pleasure.

Satisfied —and _a little _sadistically pleased with the ensuing images of a faceless man with dislodged joints— with his conclusion, he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Everything's fine."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to thank him properly**  
summary. **Yes, he was not _jealous – _oh, there, he finally acknowledged the dreaded terminology. He was _not_ jealous; he was _just _very, very concerned.**  
**


	17. to be still, i like for you

Ichigo winced when the blow from Shinji rattled him, forcing him to put distance between them. Shinji was immediately after him, mask on. _Shit! _Ichigo moved to block the incoming blow, but his movements were slow. Shinji's knee connected with his stomach and he doubled up in pain.

"Ya know," Shinji drawled, examining his nails, "if yer not goin' ta put up a fight, I might as well spar with that innocent shiny piece of rock over there."

Lifting his head, Ichigo glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Shinji let his mask dissolve before replying. He tapped his shoulder with the blade of his sword. "Yer so lousy it's not even funny. What's botherin' ya, man?"

Eyes narrowing even more, Ichigo straightened up. "Nothing's bothering me." He growled. It was more of a warning to drop the subject than a reply.

Shinji rolled his eyes. _That's convincing. _

It was a well-known fact that Ichigo was a rather grumpy child. However, lately, his grumpiness had reached a level in which it affected his concentration, even his fighting skills. His movements were a second slower, allowing Shinji to predict his next move. He also noticed that Ichigo had become more easily distracted. By what things, Shinji had no idea. There were a couple of times that he was tempted to ask – he was _not_ concerned, _really _he was not _– _he was merely curious and annoyed because beating Ichigo up was not as fun as it used to be. Most bizarre of all, he did not fire back when Hiyori made insulting remarks about his skills. He'd react, but his replies lacked the usual vehemence that it will infuriate Hiyori as if Ichigo had let her down.

"Fine, if yer _so _alright, then let's proceed," Shinji grinned. Ichigo glowered and held Zangetsu with two hands. Smirking, Shinji flash-stepped; Ichigo blocked the first attack. Having predicted his move, Shinji lifted a thin leg and kicked him at the side of his head.

"Shit!" hissed Ichigo, clutching his head. Shinji simply rolled his eyes and advanced again. Ichigo pulled back Zangetsu and bellowed, "Getsuga Tensho!" Shinji easily dodged the attack by ducking; he flash-stepped closer to Ichigo and gave the younger Vizard a spinning kick. With a grunt, Ichigo blocked it with his arm but Shinji spun the other way and gave Ichigo a high reverse roundhouse kick that threw the redhead off his feet. The rest of the Vizards winced when Ichigo hit a boulder. There was a loud crack; the fissure spread like a spider web until three chunks of different sizes chipped off and fell.

Shinji landed on the ground noiselessly, watching Ichigo cursed as he massaged his head and kicked off the slabs surrounding him.

"I don't know what ta fuck's wrong with ya, but get it together!"

"What?" the boy demanded breathlesly, gritting his teeth as he glared under the messy, damp orange bangs. Shinji shook his head as though he was reprimanding a five year old sulking child; it was clear as the sky how frustrated and distracted Ichigo was.

"Yer so _slow – _it's like watchin' a slow-mo, ya know? Do ya get it, moron? What ta hell is botherin' ya, huh?"

"There's nothing! Drop it already!" Ichigo snapped.

Shinji stared him down for a while. Suddenly, he was grinning toothily, remembering something he had discovered. "So," Ichigo's face darkened; oh, he knew that grin, that tone, that _irritating _look. It was the same look he always had the urge to wipe off with his bare hands. The grin on Shinji's face widened. "A little birdie in ta sky told me tons of mumbo jumbo about ta V day."

Ichigo flinched visibly as though hit by a bolt of electricity. Then he recovered, quickly masking his reaction by snapping a reply. "Cut the crap already!"

"So it's true?" said Shinji innocently. He was having a pleasant time provoking the boy, watching him writhe in annoyance. He was not around Karakura High School that often, occasionally walking by the street across the school, walking around the school grounds when he had a couple of minutes to kill. During one of those strolls, he had heard – Keigo was not exactly _quiet _about his remorse – about Inoue and a _chocolate_. At first, he had no idea what the big deal was, except that the chocolate was made by Orihime. Only when he made a little research he understood the implications.

"What is?" came Ichigo's growled reply.

"Jeez. What's twistin' yer panties?"

Ichigo's jaw clenched.

"Alright, alright! I'll stop talking." Shinji raised his hands in the air in a mock surrender. "But ya know," the blond stroked his chin with his index finger and thumb, staring off to the side, "Am curious 'bout this lucky _guy_ …" Shinji need not to mention Inoue's name; the indirect inference was enough. "I bet he's someone cool – like me!"

Sensing that the silence had become stiff, Shinji blinked and looked at Ichigo. Noticing the cryptic look on Ichigo's face, Shinji chuckled rather nervously.

"Well, a guy can dream, yeah? She's hot an'…" The cryptic look became creepier; Ichigo's narrowed eyes were positively glowing like embers. Shinji could, however, see that Ichigo's jaw were clenching hard as though he was chewing on something very bitter.

Shinji hurried to add, "…kind an' nice an' intelligent an' –" Shinji frowned when Ichigo turned around sharply and started towards where his corporeal body was resting. "Oi, where ya goin'?"

Ichigo did not snap back.

_Whoa._

Shinji raised a brow and exchanged looks with his other comrades.

"What did I do?" asked Shinji with feigned innocence.

"You're an idiot." Kensei grunted.

_:_

"Five more minutes, Inoue."

Orihime's pencil moved faster across the paper. With a deep frown, she thought harder. The last two questions were harder and trickier than the rest.

"Three minutes," the teacher declared and as if on cue, Orihime jerked, remembered what she was supposed to write and excitedly wrote down her answer, bending over the desk. "Time's up." Relieved, Orihime smiled up at Ochi-sensei. "Good job, Inoue. I'll have these graded and handed over to you tomorrow. For now, prepare for the end of the term exam."

"Un! Thank you very much!"

"Off you go."

Orihime gathered her things in her bag and took her pea coat and scarf. Bowing respectfully at her teacher, she left the teacher's lounge. Sighing deeply, she uttered small thanks under her breath that her make-up tests were done.

"Done?"

Startled, she jumped and flailed. "K-K-Kurosaki-kun!"

"Hey."

"You… scared me." She mumbled shakily, hugging her things.

Ichigo blinked, bemused. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay! I'm just… really surprised! I thought you already left?"

"Yeah, just finished my training,"

Orihime's eyes rounded, "Training?"

"With Shinji,"

"Oh! Are they alright? Shinji-kun hadn't come back to school."

He looked rather irritated when she mentioned Shinji's name but he shrugged nonchalantly. "They're fine. Are you finished?"

"Un!" She grinned, "My last two make-up tests are done! I hope I pass!"

"You will."

She beamed and thanked him. "What are you doing here, Kurosaki-kun?"

He scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze. Several seconds passed before he answered in a low tone. "I forgot some notes in my desk. I came back to get them and I remembered you'll be here so I waited." He finished with another shrug.

"You did? B-but y-you should not have! You just came back from your training. You should be resting!"

Ichigo shook his head. "It's okay. Come on."

They started to walk towards the locker room. It was late February and the weather had become less cold, although they still needed to wear jackets and hats to shield themselves against the early evening chill. Seen through the windows were students loitering in the schoolyard, chatting and checking their cell phones. When the two of them reached the locker room, they parted ways, striding towards their lockers. After changing footwear, they ventured out of the building into the courtyard. They were outside and walking down the familiar wet pavement splattered with melted snow when Ichigo broke the silence between them.

"I haven't asked you about what you wanted to talk about when we were interrupted at the rooftop."

Beside Ichigo, Orihime visibly twitched, her cheeks went very pink. "I-It's nothing. It's not important!" She lied.

Ichigo frowned. There was something in her voice that did not add up. This was exactly the way she spoke when he confronted her about her worries as a girl who always needed protection. "Are you sure?"

"Un!"

Ichigo decided to let it go for now. In fact, it was something he did not want to talk about, at least partially. Talking about the 'rooftop' meant recalling the 'chocolate' issue. He was yet to acknowledge that aside from her brother and her male friends, there was a boy she fancied in a different way. Instantly, his face hardened, annoyed. Surely, Ishida and Sado felt the same way, right? They were Orihime's friends too; without a doubt, they were also very disturbed about this, weren't they? They would not allow some random person to get close to Inoue. With Sado's built, this _other guy _will have qualms in approaching Inoue. How many hurdles this person had to overcome before he could properly approach and talk to Inoue? There were five or six of them, metamorphosing arms, a fire-breathing dragon and one thousand and more-something arrows. Things will not be easy; in fact, Ichigo will make sure the quest for Orihime's affection will be filled with thorns.

"Kurosaki-kun, what's wrong? You're wearing a very serious face."

Orihime's gentle voice pulled him out of his not-very-friendly thoughts. He shook his head to indicate there was none. "How did your exams go?" Orihime brightened up, beaming.

"They're not very easy and there are questions I have to re-read many times but in the end, I made it! I hope my grades are satisfactory, though!"

He smirked at her enthusiasm. "It'd be alright." The two of them made a turn in a corner. They were passing a convenience store and Orihime was talking about the new comedy show she'd like to see on Sunday and her strange dream involving her and a mecha watching an alien movie when they both heard a roar that rattled the store windows. Ichigo and Orihime exchanged glances and without a word between them, they ran towards the source of the noise. It had come from behind an abandoned warehouse. Then, the Hollow tore through the wooden, barred doors, sending splinters everywhere.

Ichigo pressed his badge on his chest, his shinigami form springing forward. He was busy glaring at the creature that he forgot to catch his own body. With a squeak, Orihime hurried forward, arms thrust forward and broke the fall of Ichigo's body. Her arms went around his midsection, holding him tight against her smaller frame. Eyes widening, Orihime blushed as Ichigo's body weight fully leaned on her.

_H-He's heavy!_ And, she realized with awe, very tall. With her face on top of his chest, she was overwhelmed with his scent.

Watching Orihime holding his body, Ichigo felt his skin – as far as his shinigami skin can allow – flush. "I-Inoue!" He exclaimed, hands twitching as though they did not know what to do.

"It's okay!" came Orihime's muffled and slightly breathless reply. She clutched him tighter as though holding him tighter will help her lessen the load. She moved her head and peeked at him from around his bicep.

Glancing warily at the Hollow which, for some odd reason, was preoccupied with tearing the warehouse down, Ichigo muttered, "You… You could have let me fall, you know."

"The snow has melted already! Your clothes will get wet. Don't worry, Kurosaki-kun! I'll protect your body!"

The Hollow gave a mighty roar and rounded on them, finally realizing it was better to eat souls than destroy infrastructure. Ichigo yanked Zangetsu off his back and jumped high in the air. With one swipe, he cut down one of its limbs. The Hollow gave another cry and thrashed. Back on the ground, with all her strength, Orihime pulled Ichigo's body away from the makeshift battlefield. It was difficult; vaguely, she began to wonder what he was eating for him to get this heavy.

Ichigo, meanwhile, had focused entirely on the fight. He was busy battling its front that he failed to notice its spiked tail. Out of nowhere, it struck him and soon, his body was plummeting downwards; he was going to hit the pavement facedown.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He heard Orihime call his name. Then, he met smooth surface. It was not wet and muddy and cold, but dry and warm. Its warmth was familiar.

_Inoue… _He blinked. Inoue's shield, he recognized. He cut a glance at Orihime's direction. She was still clutching his body and from his vantage point, they looked awkward. There was a hiss in the wind, and Ichigo quickly leaped up to avoid another strike of that spike tail. It shattered Inoue's shield. The sound of it splintering annoyed Ichigo. He attacked again, sliding under the levitating Hollow and fired his attack, completely severing the Hollow into halves. The cry of the Hollow oddly satisfied him as it dissolved.

"Oomph!"

Ichigo turned around at the sound; Orihime had buckled under the weight of his body. "Inoue!" He hurried to assist her, his face flushing at the sight of Orihime and his body tangled together. He bent down and lifted his body off hers. "Oi, you okay?"

"Un!" He helped her by grasping her upper arm and pulling her up to upright position. "Are you hurt, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked while discreetly assessing him for injuries. Ichigo shook his head.

"I'm fine." He put his badge back to his pocket and adjusted his coat. Wearily, he glanced at the mess. "We have to get out of here before someone sees us."

"Un!"

They hurried away from the vicinity, hands tucked in their coat. Orihime thanked him for walking her home when they reached her apartment. She turned to walk up the stairs. As she did, Ichigo was watching her. Inside the pockets of his coat, his fists clenched.

"Inoue," At the sound of his voice, Orihime paused in her step and spun around to look down at him, blinking curiously. He was looking up at her, brows furrowed. He started to speak, but instead of words, it came out as a grunt, and later, he exhaled in frustration, averting his face from her gaze.

Orihime put both of her feet on the same step to properly look down at Ichigo in concern. He was starting to worry her; whatever it was he wanted to say, it had to be extremely important. It just did not seem like a "May I use your bathroom" kind of deal.

"Is… everything alright, Kurosaki-kun? You can tell me anything…" Orihime said softly.

He grunted as he exhaled, raking a hand over his messy hair. A look of pure irritation took over his face before he looked up to her, meeting her concerned eyes. He stared at her for a while, looking as if he wanted to say anything but could not find the words to express himself appropriately.

Then, he sighed deeply and turned his back to her. "It's nothing," he said quietly.

Orihime bit her lip, disappointment flashing in her eyes. But she knew she could not force him to tell her if he was not ready. "Are you… sure?"

"…Not really,"

Confused, Orihime stared at his back. "Kurosaki-kun, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know." He said. "Hey," he added after a long stretch of silence. Orihime perked up.

"Y-Yes?"

"Whoever he is, I hope he likes you back."

Orihime's eyes widened, "W-what?" she stammered, blushing. "K-Kurosaki-kun…"

He shrugged, "I have sisters. I know how important that _day_ was for girls." Behind him, standing on a stair step, Orihime was red. "I know you wanted to give something important to someone."

"I-I…"

"It's none of my business, but whoever this guy is, be sure he'll treat you right."

Stammering, Orihime clutched the front of her coat, trying to hide her flushed cheeks behind her thick scarf. Ichigo cleared his throat with a cough. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," he started to walk away. Hearing his footsteps, Orihime jolted.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, s-see you tomorrow!" she called out after him. The boy responded with waving a hand.

_:_

With heavy-lidded eyes, Renji lifted his head from the magazine he was browsing. "Stop that."

The next day, their PE class was being held in the gym. It was filled with chatting students and sounds of bouncing balls that the chances of being overhead were slim. Ichigo, who was standing on the other side of Rukia watching a basketball game, turned and looked at him quizzically. Rukia, on the other hand, ignored the redhead and proceeded into punching the keypad of her phone with vicious gusto.

"Soul Society is not going anywhere, Rukia." Renji added.

"I know," snapped Rukia. The crackling noise from her phone stopped as she flipped it close. "But it's weird. I've been trying to contact Soul Society since last week but all I receive is this annoying static sound." She surveyed her hollow detector phone and flipped it open again to stare at the screen with a confused frown. "The last time I encountered something like this was when Inoue went missing. I can't ignore this."

Renji stared at her with narrowed eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but he gazed off to the side quickly when Rukia looked at him. "You're just being paranoid." He said instead.

Rukia bristled. "I'm not! I'm just –" Their eyes met and locked. With a huff, Rukia turned away and continued to try to establish connection with no avail. "I'm just curious."

Renji rolled his eyes and turned to the next page. "You and Ichigo are the same." Hearing her name lump together with Ichigo's, Rukia scowled. Shrugging, he added, "Both of you are paranoid. Stop obsessing over Inoue. She's safe."

"Stop talking about me as if you know everything, idiot." Ichigo deadpanned, scowling. Renji rolled his eyes. "And I'm _not _obsessing over Inoue!"

Renji looked at him flatly and snorted. "Could you stop trying to find who she's infatuated with?" Fascinated as though he was some sort of rare animal in a petting-zoo, Rukia stared at Ichigo who had clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed and flashing fiercely.

Renji smirked, "thought so!"

Ichigo twitched, "What's _that_ got to do with Rukia's phone?"

_:_

It was quiet inside the hall where the captains gather for meetings. Three empty spots were yet to be refilled. Aside from the captains, three lieutenants were also present. The meeting had been brief. The leader of the Thirteen squads had spoken with clarity and finality.

The silence that followed the Commander General's declaration stretched until it was heavy with almost-grief and indifference. It was a strange silence, and they did not know to react to it or if they even have to react to it. In fact, there was no reason for them to react at all. There was no fidgeting, only silence and stoic faces, hardened by years of fighting and protecting, of sacrifices and deaths. This, this was just one of those. This _had _to be.

The silence was shattered when Kyoraku asked, "Is this necessary, Yama-jii?"

Yamamoto leaned forward to his cane. "This is what we must do. Prevention is better than counterattack plans."

Ukitake lowered his gaze, disheartened. Hitsugaya's expression was hard and unreadable, his posture stiff. The usual confident tilt of his shoulders was gone. Discreetly, Hisagi glanced at the prodigious captain. Hitsugaya, Hisagi knew, had indirect relation to the _subject _of their meeting, and despite his attempts to appear expressionless, a flicker of unease had flitted over the young captain's face. However, Hisagi had another worry.

_Rangiku-san._

"Use force if necessary." Yamamoto declared.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened; Ukitake stiffened. "That's —" Yamamoto struck the floor with the tip of his cane, interrupting Ukitake.

"The preparations have been completed. The final step will be carried out by four captains: Kuchiki. Zaraki. Kyoraku. Hitsugaya." Yamamato announced. "Do it with utmost care and secrecy. In seven days, all will be done."

There was a pause, a chance to argue, to speak, but none of them spoke. Ukitake opened his mouth, but he hesitated and lowered his head. Anything he'd say will be approached with skepticism. So he kept quiet.

Coward, he told himself, coward.

Yamamoto gazed around at them, leaning on his thick cane, the thing which, when unsheathed, can consumed the world with fire. He was a powerful man but for a second there, Ukitake saw how old he was, how tired he was. It was brief, a very small crack on the surface of a powerful shell of a warrior that Ukitake considered it as mere wishful thinking in his part. The Captain Commander would never show a slightest morsel of weakness over something trivial, would not he? Like he had always said, the life of one is nothing compared to the lives of many.

"Meeting adjourned."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to be still, i like for you **  
summary. **Coward, he told himself, coward.**  
**


	18. to slip through your fingers

"Kuchiki-san, what's wrong?" Orihime's gentle voice pulled Rukia out of her annoyed stupor. "You're wearing your serious face."

Brows furrowed, Rukia looked up. Seeing her expression, Orihime's expression became more worried. She reached for an empty chair and sat down on it in front of Rukia's desk. Her gaze lowered to the communicator Rukia was clutching in her hand. "Is something wrong with your cell phone?"

Before Rukia could reply, Ichigo turned up, standing beside Orihime's chair. Orihime timidly looked up, offering a shy greeting to which Ichigo responded with a small, lopsided smile.

"Oi," Ichigo raised a brow, seeing Rukia's irritated expression. "What's up? No signal?" he nodded at Rukia's communicator. Disgruntled, Rukia gave a terse nod and flipped it shut, glaring at it pointedly.

"You know, maybe it's time for you to get a new phone." Ichigo suggested with a shrug.

"No!" Rukia snapped fiercely, causing Orihime to jump in shock. Clasping the phone with both hands protectively, she proceeded into glaring at Ichigo. "Don't make stupid suggestions! That's blasphemy!"

Ichigo's eyebrows made a straight line. "You've got to be kidding me." He deadpanned.

"There's nothing wrong with my phone." insisted Rukia stubbornly. "I think something is blocking me from Soul Society's network."

"If that's the problem," Orihime piped in, "Why don't you ask Urahara-san? Maybe he could help."

Rukia exhaled sharply. "I already told him about this and he doesn't have any idea what on earth's wrong but I'll talk to him again today and see if he finds out something."

"If you're desperate to contact Soul Society, you can just go over there, right?"

She shook her head. "For us to be able to cross over, we have to inform Soul Society so they could activate a Senkaimon for us to go through."

A scowl started to mar Ichigo's features as suspicion crept up to his spine, his eyes narrowing. "Why do you want to contact Soul Society that badly? Is something dangerous going on in Karakura?" This question caused Orihime's brows to wrinkle in worry as she stared at Rukia, waiting.

Hearing the edge in Ichigo's voice and the spike in his reiatsu, Rukia was quick to reply. "Nothing, but I think it's weird that our communication network has been down for _weeks_. Something must have happened there and I want to know what it is."

"Ah, thank goodness," breathed Orihime, relieved.

Ichigo visibly relaxed after hearing Rukia's answer. "Whatever it is, I bet it's not that bad." He rubbed the top of his head and turned to Orihime.

"Hey," Orihime looked up at him, wide-eyed and puzzled. "Where are you going to be this afternoon?"

Across Orihime, Rukia's brow shot up.

Orihime scratched her chin thoughtfully. "I'll be in the library. I have lots of studying to do."

"It'll be dark by the time you finish…" he muttered. "I'll pick you up. Wait for me."

"Kurosaki-kun, that's not really nece—" But Ichigo was already off and on his way to his own desk.

"…it's not really necessary." Orihime mumbled under her breath.

"Oh, let him be." Rukia said, smirking as if she knew something Orihime didn't. "Besides," her face transformed into a serious expression. "It's safer if you have someone to walk you home."

"He's walked me home for the past few days. I'm sure he has lots of more important things to do."

Arching a brow, Rukia pointed out, "Making sure you're safe is important to him, don't you know?" Orihime's cheeks pinked, causing Rukia to smirk. "But damn it, this phone's pissing me off!"

:

Orihime did not have any idea how long had she been staying in the library, reading books after books and jotting down notes. She had not bothered checking her watch, too absorbed in reading. She stubbornly ignored the throbbing headache she was having due to the intense information overload she was subjecting herself to. Aside from the headache, she felt drowsy. With a deep sigh, she dropped her pencil and massaged her temples, hoping to lessen the throbbing but she was unsuccessful. She then stretched her arms and slapped her cheeks in an attempt to stay awake. However, after several attempts, she finally gave in.

_Just a quick nap! Five minutes… maybe, seven minutes…_

Folding her arms on top of the textbook she was currently reading, she buried her face on them and closed her eyes.

"Inoue."

The sleeping girl did not budge, snoring softly.

Ichigo's frown deepened. Hesitant to wake her, he put a hand on her shoulder and shook her. Several auburn locks slid over the table.

Whining softly, Orihime shifted in her spot until bright honey-colored eyes peeked out from her folded arms and auburn hair. "K… Kurosaki-kun?" Groggily, she lifted her head and gazed blearily at the orange-haired boy. "What… are you do…" She broke into a wide yawn and continued, "…doing here?"

Ichigo frowned at her. "I'm here to pick you up, remember? Sorry I had to wake you up."

The girl blinked slowly. Then her face brightened in understanding. "Oh, right!" She exclaimed, brushing her hair off her face. Then, laughing nervously, she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm glad you woke me up! Oh… I hope I didn't slobber over the pages!"

Still frowning, Ichigo sighed heavily. "Inoue," He sat down on the chair from across her. Eyeing the tall pile of books she had finished and comparing it to the pile which she had yet to touch, he inwardly cringed. The books she had to read outnumbered the books she had finished. He focused his gaze on her, her wide hazel eyes staring at him. "Isn't it better to go home early and study in your apartment? You'll be safer there."

Orihime lowered her gaze and bit her lip. "I-I easily get distracted. A-and there are new shows I'd like to see so it's better to stay here and study! There are no forms of distraction here." Ichigo continued to frown and stare at her. There was something a little unnerving in the way he stared at her, looking deeply into her eyes as though he was analyzing her.

"Alright," Ichigo decided to give in when Orihime yawned again, visibly energy depleted. "Let's just get you to your apartment." She beamed at him and it amazed Ichigo that despite her obvious weariness and the bruise-like swelling under her tired eyes, her honey-colored eyes still had life of their own. Without another word, he picked up the books and stood up.

Through heavy-lidded eyes, Orihime watched his sharp profile as he put the books back in the shelves. His frown would deepen thoughtfully, reading the title of the textbook in his hand before sliding it back to the shelf. When he suddenly glanced at her, Orihime squeaked in surprise and snatched a textbook from the table, and hid her face behind it.

"Oi, you okay?" Ichigo called out, bemused.

"Un!" Orihime stammered, blushing furiously. Unconvinced, Ichigo frowned but continued to return the books in their shelves. She moved her chair back and let out another yawn. Still seated and rubbing her eyes, she reached for her bag but it was not there anymore.

"Huh?" She looked up and found Ichigo, who had taken her bag, standing by the table.

He gestured to her with a jerk of his head. "Come on."

"Kurosaki-kun, it's okay I can —"

Ichigo shook his head. "Let's go. It's late."

"Un! After you, Kurosaki-kun~!"

:

"That's the second lamppost you ran into." Ichigo commented, watching Orihime rub her forehead.

"Eh? You were keeping count?" She asked, blinking up at him. Ichigo's facial features briefly tensed before returning to their usual frowning visage. Flashing him a timid smile, she apologized. "Sorry, Kurosaki-kun… I'm such a boring walking companion, aren't I?"

He shook his head. "You're not. Have you been sleeping well?"

"Mm, I think so! I mostly sleep for four hours." She replied and yawned again. "I need to study hard… There are so many days I missed." Truth be told, Orihime felt like a zombie, and she knew she looked like one. She had been studying nonstop for the last three days. She'd wake up at five o'clock in the morning, read the notes she had copied from Tatsuki and go to school. After class, she'd go to the library for more studying and reading. Ichigo would always turn up to walk her home, and then she'd start reading again until ten in the evening. It was an exhausting routine and no matter how optimistic and resilient she was, the truth remained that she's a human girl with limited energy.

Eye half-closed, Orihime took a step forward, intending to resume their trek home. A hand took her arm, long fingers curling around the crook of her elbow, halting her. Confused, the auburn-haired girl slowly turned her head to stare at the hand on her arm before looking up.

Vivid amber eyes met her questioning gaze steadily. "I'll carry you." Ichigo declared nonchalantly.

For a few seconds, Orihime gaped at him blankly, lips parted. "Uh…?" was her only reply.

A small, amused smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Close your mouth."

"O-Oh…! S-Sorry… I," A lock of red-orange hair slid down to her cheek as she struggled for words.

He crouched in front of her. "Get on."

Orihime froze, blushing brightly as soon as she fully realized what he was offering to her. She was suddenly alert, and she felt like she was hyperventilating, her heart thumping wildly, causing her to feel lightheaded. "K-Kurosaki-kun, you d-don't have to! I can —"

"It's okay. Get on. This way, we'll get to your apartment faster without you bumping into objects."

"B-But I'm heavy… I might hurt your back." She argued timidly, gazing at the strong expanse of his back, the wide breadth of his shoulders. _Wow… Such a strong back…_ She thought dreamily, her hands itching to touch his shifting shoulder blades.

Ichigo pat his shoulders. "I can manage."

Physically and mentally exhausted, with no energy left to argue, Orihime nodded reluctantly. "I-if it's really okay…" Tentatively, she put a hand on his shoulder.

Ichigo felt his muscles jump under her timid touch. His frown deepened as his mouth went dry.

Contact… Contact was such a delicious thing.

He had seldom been touched, ever since his mother's death, his father's attacks not included. His mother had doted on him, ruffled his hair, hugged him, kissed his cheeks and patted his head. Things changed when she died. He put up walls, constructed a perimeter. There were occasional pats, nudges and shoves from his friends and punks hoping to work a number on him.

And _this, _this was different.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the small hand covered in a green mitten on his shoulder. Such a small hand, and yet… Unconsciously, he braced himself as her other hand touched his other shoulder. His body's reaction was the same, further confusing him. But he shook his head mentally, wondering why he was wasting his time on thinking about such things. Holding their bags in one hand, he hooked his arms under her knees and lifted her up effortlessly. Her arms automatically tightened around his neck, her head bumping against the side of his head.

"You OK?" he asked.

She let out an affirmative sound, sighing softly.

"You can go to sleep if you want," he offered.

"…you don't mind?" she whispered softly.

"Go ahead."

Few blocks were accomplished in silence; after which, Orihime spoke, her tone gentle with sleepiness. "…ne, Kurosaki-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"You're so warm."

At her candid statement, his feet faltered for a moment before he regained his bearings and carried on. Ichigo felt his face warm at her innocent observation. He cleared his throat and made a grunting, incomprehensible noise.

"… Are you carrying a built-in heater with you?"

This time, his steps did falter and he had difficulty in reining back his composure. "…No." He said carefully after recovering.

"Are you sure?" There was tinge of disappointment lacing her tone.

He felt the corner of his mouth twitch in a small smile. "I'm sure." Ichigo felt her relax more after that, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Hey," Orihime began drowsily. "We can go window shopping first…"

Ichigo bit his lower lip to repress a snort of laughter. "Just go to sleep, Inoue." He said instead. She gave a small laugh and burrowed her face into the side of his neck.

:

The next day, as practiced, Ichigo looked for Orihime to ask her where she was going to be after class. He was busy concentrating on finding her when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He looked up and waving at him from the distance was Orihime. He watched her clumsily run toward him, grinning happily.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked, noticing her exuberant mood.

If possible, her grin widened more, her clear eyes shining with mirth. "Kurosaki-kun," she breathed excitedly, almost vibrating with exhilaration. "I passed my make-up tests!" she announced and made a small jig in front of him.

Ichigo grinned. "Congrats. I knew you'd ace them."

She laughed, loud, breathy, tinkling. "I'm so lucky, aren't I?" She giggled behind her hand. "Ne, Kurosaki-kun," she asked, looking up to him with wide eyes.

He raised his brows, "Yeah?"

She seemed to hesitate for a while, averting her gaze. "I h-haven't forgotten my promise to treat you."

He blinked. "Oh… Yeah."

"To celebrate this good news, may I take you with me to Oji-san's ramen shop? The same ramen shop where we ate the other night? It's my treat!" She thrust a fist in the air excitedly. Then, realizing how forward her statement was, she backpedalled quickly, her eyes round in shocked mortification. Frantically, she waved her hands about her, making wild gesticulations as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "I-I mean, if… if you like? And if you're not busy! B-But if y-you're b-busy, it's okay!" Horrified, she put her hands on her warm cheeks. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made plans without asking you."

"Oi, it's okay. I'm free. We can go now."

Orihime blinked and stared up at him. "R-Really?" He nodded with a smirk. The smile he got in return made him quirk a small smile of his own. Her enthusiasm was contagious, he realized. "That's great! S-Shall we go?"

"Yeah," She grinned at him and they both started toward the locker room when a voice bellowed behind them.

"Oiii, Ichigo!"

Ichigo and Orihime turned around and saw Renji. Standing next to Orihime, Ichigo stiffened. _Shit. _Wait – it was his patrol duty today! He realized with horror.

"Where're ya going, huh? It's yer – _mmmphh!_" Ichigo quickly clamped a hand on Renji's mouth and wrapped an arm around Renji's neck in a headlock. Orihime looked on, surprised.

"Kurosaki-kun…?"

He favored her with a small smile, tightening his hold around Renji when the redhead squirmed and clawed at his hand. "Gotta talk to him first. This'll only take a minute! Wait for me at the gate, yeah?"

Eyeing Renji who was struggling violently against Ichigo, Orihime nodded hesitantly and smiled. "You don't have to hurry, Kurosaki-kun. Take your time."

Ichigo smiled crookedly and dragged Renji to a corner and made sure Orihime was out of hearing range before throwing the redhead against the wall. "You jerk!" snarled Renji. "What the hell was that for?"

"Shut up." Ichigo snapped. "Listen, I can't do the patrol today. You do it."

"No fucking way, jerk." Renji snorted, short and sharp.

Ichigo glowered. "I'm not asking you!"

The redhead glared back. "I ain't gonna cover for your ass!"

A tic instantly appeared above Ichigo's eye. "I have more important things to do right now! I'll do your patrol tomorrow, got it?"

"What's more important than making sure your town's safe?" demanded Renji heatedly.

His left lower eyelid twitched. "It's none of your business." Ichigo hissed.

"You ain't gonna tell me? Then, no."

Ichigo's upper lip curled in irritation, "You bastard… fine! Inoue asked me if I can go with her!"

For a moment, Renji looked stunned, his eyebrows arching in disbelief. "Go where?"

"It's none of your damned business!"

"Go _where?_"

"I'm not going to tell you!" Ichigo bellowed. He could feel the back of his ears turn red.

Leaning back to his heels, Renji squinted as he examined Ichigo. "…Did you threaten her?" Without preamble, Ichigo socked Renji hard.

"I was _joking!_" Renji hollered after regaining his bearings, cradling his face.

"It's not funny!" Ichigo roared back.

"What's going on here?" a new voice demanded.

Recognizing the voice, Ichigo rounded on Rukia. "Tell this bastard to take over my patrol for today!"

The dark-haired girl narrowed her eyes. "And why is that? The schedule is fixed!"

"I have to go somewhere." Ichigo answered firmly.

"And where is this _somewhere_?"

Ichigo scowled. There was no way he'd tell Rukia; she'd never shut up about it and worst, she'd even start making sketches about it. He was not in the mood to tolerate her eye-twitching artworks. More importantly, he respected Inoue's privacy. Besides, he wanted to keep this little excursion with Inoue to himself. Not because he was embarrassed, but because he believed it was something personal he did not want to share with anyone.

"It's none of your business!"

"_Where_, Ichigo?"

Growing more irritated, Ichigo's scowl deepened, gritting his teeth. Why did he surround himself with nosey friends? "I'm _not _going to tell you!"

"He's going on a date with Inoue!"

Instantly, Ichigo elbowed Renji square in the face, eliciting a strangled yell of pain and string of obscenities from Renji. "It's not a date, you idiot!" He looked at Rukia who looked stunned. "And no, I didn't threaten her!" He snapped before Rukia could accuse him of such thing. "Look, I can take tomorrow's patrol. Tell _him_ to take over mine for today and I'll take his tomorrow."

"No!" Renji bellowed, looking fairly disoriented. "You said it yourself, Rukia! The schedule is fixed! And I'm not gonna do him a favor! Never!"

Rukia folded her arms in front of her chest, scrutinizing Ichigo. "I see." Renji grinned while Ichigo glowered, mentally stacking up ammunition he could use to neutralize Rukia's incoming verbal attack.

"Renji, do the patrol for today."

The redhead gawked in disbelief. "Wha – _what_!"

Rukia narrowed her eyes ominously. Her look reminded Renji of his captain. So typical, this type of scrutiny. "Do you have a problem with _my _decision?"

"I- no, but —"

"Thanks, Rukia!" Grinning briefly, Ichigo nodded at her and tore down the corridor.

:

"Itadikamasu~" sang Orihime happily before digging into her bowl of seafood ramen.

"You can only fool me once." The cynical ramen owner began. He was watching the two young adults, arms folded in front of his chest. "But this is the second time you two ate here and it's not a date?"

Ichigo's eyebrows started twitching fiercely.

"Fooling me once is acceptable. Fooling me twice is unacceptable!"

Ichigo looked up from his bowl, scowling darkly. "Shut up. We're eating." Ichigo deadpanned.

A large butcher knife was pointed at his face. The blade glinted. "Respect your elders, boy!"

Ichigo eyed the knife warily before replying as calmly as he could. It was not wise to shout at someone who was holding a knife in front of his face. "Don't you have things to do, water to boil, vegetables to chop? Why don't you leave us be?"

"Why do I have to leave? You said this is not a date so it's okay if I stay and chat."

A vein throbbed above his eye. "You —"

"But you're such a boring character so might as well I leave." The older man drawled before sauntering to the back of the ramen shop, leaving the two high school students to themselves.

"Kurosaki-kun, where do want to go next?"

Ichigo wiped his mouth with a tissue and turned to the girl beside him. "There's more?"

Orihime bobbed her head up and down, beaming. "Do you like donuts?"

"They're okay." He replied. "But you don't have to spend so much on me, Inoue. I'm already full."

"Are you sure? I know where we can find really delicious donuts! They even have red bean paste donuts which are absolutely amazing!"

"If you want one, we can go there. I'll go with you."

The bakery she had wanted to go to belonged to an elderly woman whose granddaughter was openly fond of Orihime. In turn, the older girl was equally affectionate of the little girl, kissing her plump cheeks when they met. As soon as the small girl saw Ichigo, her cute face became fierce as she latched on Orihime's leg.

"Who are you?" she demanded. The brash attitude reminded Ichigo of Rukia (and Tatsuki). "Why are you with Hime-nee? Are you a bad person? What happened to your hair? I don't like it!"

"Nobuko-chan," Orihime gently but firmly chided, "Kurosaki-kun is a very kind person. He's my very good friend." She flashed Ichigo an apologetic smile.

The younger girl's tenacious expression quickly switched to a loving, concerned one. "Are you sure he's not mean, Hime-nee?"

"Yep! I'm one hundred percent sure!"

For the whole time they spent inside the bakery, the child remained attached to Orihme's leg, glaring at Ichigo occasionally and smiling whenever addressed by Orihime. Ichigo decided to keep his distance, but still following Orihime as she made her round inside the shop. At the counter, she was given a discount, which she accepted with a shy but grateful smile.

"Will you come again, Hime-nee?"

"Yes, I will, Nobuko-chan!"

The child threw Ichigo another sour look before looking at Orihime again. "And he will come with you again?"

Orihime blinked, blushing. "I… I'm not sure, Nobuko-chan. Kurosaki-kun is a busy person and he has more important things to do." Apparently, this brought a huge smile on the girl's face.

"Yosh!"

"Hey, don't go answering all the questions without asking my opinion first." Ichigo declared.

"Eh?"

"I'll come with her again." Ichigo said, looking at the kid.

"Ehhh?"

Ichigo took Orihime's bag. "Deal with it." He muttered. "Let's go, Inoue."

"O-Okay," she smiled at the fuming young girl. "I'll see you soon, Nobuko-chan! Good night, Shibayama-san!" She followed Ichigo outside and ran to catch up with him. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun, about that. Nobuko-chan is actually very sweet. She's just a little wary of you right now because it was her first time to meet you. I'm sure she'll like you once she gets to know you better!"

"It's alright, Inoue. I'm used to it. She's not the first person who thinks I'm a punk because of my hair and face."

"Kurosaki-kun is a nice person! And what's wrong with Kurosaki-kun's hair and face? They're amazing!"

Ichigo blinked, surprised. "Uh… Thanks." Orihime grinned.

After a few blocks, they reached an apartment building. "Oh, here we are!" She pointed. "Thank you for walking me home, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo handed Orihime the bag he carried for her. "It's no big deal. Like I said before, whenever Tatsuki isn't around, I'll take her place."

After flashing another smile, Orihime turned to climb the stairs but she stopped and spun around quickly, startling Ichigo who was watching her. "Ano… Kurosaki-kun, can you wait here for a moment?"

"Ah, er, sure, I guess."

"I'll be very quick!" She called out over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs. When she got back, she quickly thrust a box in his hand, muttering, "It's for you!"

Confused, Ichigo examined the box. "What's this?"

For some reason, his question brought a bright flush on her face. "N-Nothing important but… it was something I really wanted to give to you last February fourteenth." Curious, Ichigo opened the box.

_Chocolate._

Instantly, his eyes widened. She wanted to give _this _to him last February fourteenth? But that day was… He swallowed hard and lifted the heart-shaped chocolate covered in a delicate tissue from the box.

"I-I used normal ingredients so d-don't worry!"

"I…" Ichigo stared at the chocolate, his heart beating fast that it felt like it will pound out of his chest.

"It's late but… H-Happy Valentine's Day, Kurosaki-kun,"

Ichigo jerked his gaze to her beaming, blushing face. The innocent look she gave him caused warmth to spread in his chest. It was a strange but powerful feeling, unhinging him for a moment. Internally, he struggled to find his balance. Inhale, exhale. In reality, the surging tempest lasted for a second, but Ichigo felt drained of energy. What a strange reaction to a perfectly innocent gesture, he mused.

Almost reverently, he put the chocolate back inside the box and carefully sealed it closed. "Thanks, Inoue."

"You're welcome!" she chirped. "I was really worried at first… I-I don't want to make you uncomfortable and I had a hard time convincing myself to give it to you." She smiled sheepishly. "Since you're the only person I made chocolate for, I put all my efforts into making sure it tastes fine."

This information caused his breath to hitch. "I'm the only…"

Wait, wasn't he resentful towards the faceless guy who he assumed had received chocolates from Inoue?

Orihime rubbed her chin, thoughtfully gazing off to the side. "But Tatsuki-chan and Kuchiki-san ate the first chocolate I made… I guess they don't count!"

Dumbfounded, Ichigo kept gazing at her. When Orihime looked at him, she asked him if there was something wrong. Quickly, he cleared his throat and put on his normal face before replying, "Nothing. Thanks, Inoue. I really appreciate it."

She peered up at him shyly. "I… I know I've said this before but I'll say it again: Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, for everything."

Ichigo smiled crookedly; it was genuine, almost-soft. "I've said this before, too: I'll protect you. It'd probably freak you out, but it's a promise."

"I'll do my best to protect Kurosaki-kun too!" She vowed, nodding determinedly. Catching a glimpse from her watch, her eyes widened. "Oh… It's late! Kurosaki-kun, be careful on your home, okay?"

Ichigo released a snort, a small, smug smirk on his face. "Don't worry. I'm tough."

She pouted. "I know you're tough but still you have to be careful." She shook her head, smiling fondly. "Okay, I trust Kurosaki-kun's strength! See you tomorrow!"

"Oi, make sure your door is locked, Inoue." He called after her.

Turning slightly, she flashed him a V-sign, "Don't worry!" Still smiling, she waved one last time before turning completely around to continue climbing the stairs.

:

"So, what's going on?"

Bemused, Ichigo looked up. "Huh?"

This dull response resulted to a deeper frown on Rukia's face. "Is it a human _male _nature to be _that _dense?" Ichigo's countenance slowly became irritated which, as usual, was ignored by Rukia. "Should I use flash cards to make it easier for you to understand?" added she dryly. "What's going on?"

The expression on Ichigo's face became puzzled. "We're on our way to school?" To his credit, Ichigo did not sound sarcastic. Rukia sighed and shook her head.

"You're hopeless."

The fierce look came back in full force. "What the hell did I do? You asked me a question, I gave you an answer!" snapped Ichigo.

Rukia looked up to him, gave a sigh and shook her head again before turning around. Behind her, Ichigo twitched in irritation. "Oi!" He called out to her before jogging after her. "What's your problem?" he groused.

Rukia examined her phone again before giving him a glance. "Do you remember what I told you last December? Inoue was still in coma and I visited her. You came with me."

Ichigo furrowed his brows, trying to jog his memory. "Yeah… I think so. Something about bad things come in threes, right?"

The dark-haired shinigami gave a nod and put her phone in her pocket. "That one," Rukia stopped walking and faced the bemused boy. "I'm not stupid. I know what you feel about her."

Ichigo stilled, and a rather cryptic expression flitted over his face. Before Rukia could properly assess this surprising reaction, it was gone in a blink of an eye, replaced by his usual scowling face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He deadpanned before sidestepping around her to continue walking.

Despite herself, Rukia had to commend Ichigo's talent in covering up his emotional tracks and repressing his emotions. He was a careless, stubborn boy, but he was smart and his heart was in the right place. He could repress, bury, hide, deny – anything, but everyone had their limits, did they? Knowing him, he'd probably need a couple of days, months even, to put things in concrete form and express them properly.

Rukia resumed walking, staying few steps behind him.

"I knew this would happen." She flicked her flip-phone open. "And I understand if you're scared –"

Startling Rukia, Ichigo whirled around and growled, "Drop it. Better yet, stay out of it."

Rukia shrugged nonchalantly, stepping around him to continue on her way. "A piece of advice, Ichigo: if you keep holding back, prepare for consequences."

"What are you trying to say? Look, I appreciate it but it's unnecessary."

"Don't forget it then. It might help you in the future. Just don't sulk in a corner if what you want all along suddenly slipped through your fingers."

:

Orihime hummed under her breath, smiling to herself. The weather had become warmer as March came closer. What made her mood brighter, however, was the fact that she was able to give Ichigo the chocolates she had made. Blushing, she giggled to herself, replaying the event last night in her head. His dumbfounded expression was adorable.

She had to tell Tatsuki about this, Orihime thought excitedly. Tatsuki would be so proud of her! Walking faster, she came to an abrupt halt when something so familiar materialized several steps in front of her.

_These are…_ She thought, wide-eyed with surprise and curiosity.

Four familiar people appeared.

"Inoue Orihime."

"…"

"Please do not resist."

"We are instructed to use force if necessary."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to slip through your fingers**  
summary. **"We are instructed to use force if necessary."**  
**


	19. to smile, help me remember how

What could go wrong in a day like this?

The weather was nice. Breeze, cool and not crisp like winter gust, wafted back and forth. It came and left in a ratio of one to one. Everything felt normally in place. No dark clouds in sight. The sky was as clear as a calm sea, and puffy clouds – those types that could be seen in fairy tale illustrations and landscape drawings – were high in the sky.

And yet, Tatsuki could not shake off the feeling of dread.

_I need to relax._ She told herself. _There's nothing to worry about, right? _

Right— but for the umpteenth time, she checked her watch and her frown deepened until she felt her temples ache and throb from frowning too much. If Orihime was here, she'd giggle and tell her between chuckles that her face was a less menacing imitation of Ichigo's scowling face. Tatsuki sighed and decided to jot down notes; Orihime will need them later.

Several desks away, Ichigo was doing the same thing. He always scowled, of course, but this scowl is a scowl of worry. Only he, after all, could use a scowl as an expression for several different emotions.

Ichigo knew Orihime enough to know that she was rarely late. She always made an effort to be on time. Days before, because of her make-up tests, she had been arriving later than he but she was never _this _late. It was an odd occurrence, odd enough for Ichigo to notice. And this incidence felt like a bad omen calling out to him. This, Ichigo tried to ignore (but like a red sign on a street, this omen continued to call out to him, warning him: _stop, danger, danger, danger_)

Was he overreacting, he mused as he glared off to the side, tapping his opened notebook with the blunt end of his pencil. Everyone is entitled to be late once and while. And Orihime was not an exception from that privilege. But a part of him was edgy. He chalked it up to paranoia – last year was chaotic and he was still adjusting from abrupt changes, from chaos to quiet. This should not surprise him.

Sighing, Ichigo forced himself to put down notes and listen to the lecture. His efforts, however, were thwarted when something stirred in the air. It felt as though something in the space around him had dropped away, leaving an empty cavern in its place. And this 'something' was warm, gentle, familiar—

_Inoue. _

Her name rang inside his head, loud, shrill, heavy (and the red blinking warning sign was back, flickering so fast that looking at it could give one a headache _bam bam bam bam bam stop stop stop danger danger danger DANGER—)_

A chair skidded backward and fell to the floor with a loud crack. So loud that the whole class flinched and turned to the noise. Tatsuki had stood; there was something different in the way she gripped the edges of her desk and the way she stood. She was looking at – at Kurosaki who stared back at her, looking confused and stricken.

"Ichigo—"

"Arisawa," the teacher overrode. "What happened to— Huh! What on earth – Kurosaki! Kurosaki, stop!"

Dumbfounded, the students and the teacher watched as Kurosaki darted out without so much as a word, completely ignoring the calls for halt by their teacher. Arisawa soon followed, and this seemed to jerk Kuchiki, Sado and Ishida to their feet. The class was stunned and silent for a while before whispers erupted. Keigo and Mizuiro exchanged nervous glances.

:

Ichigo was already in the courtyard when Tatsuki caught up with him, yelling for him to stop. But she was ignored. Gritting her teeth, Tatsuki accelerated her pace, grabbed the back of Ichigo's shirt and pulled. It was difficult; Ichigo was strong and heavy, and the velocity of his running legs surpassed hers.

"Ichigo!" Her voice was edged with anger.

Almost roughly, Ichigo whirled around, breathing raggedly. Whatever Tatsuki was planning to say to him, they died in her throat when she saw his face. She blinked repeatedly, but the fierce, almost-mad glint in those eyes did not disappear. His struggle for control was palpable; Tatsuki could almost see every line, every vein, and every thread of his muscles pulsing under his skin; something wild was convoluting inside him, resembling a tempest, a violent storm of emotions, thrashing about, clawing at his skin and bones.

Rukia, Sado and Ishida soon arrived, circling around the two childhood friends.

"What's going on?" demanded Rukia.

Ichigo's jaw clenched, the muscles clamping together. Tatsuki answered in his place. "Orihime's gone –" Rukia opened her mouth to say something but Tatsuki added quickly. "Her presence that I've always felt, _it's _gone! Just like the last time!" At this point, Tatsuki's voice was cracking, a struggle to stay calm.

"That's right," Ishida confirmed, frowning heavily. "I… I can't sense her anywhere. It's like she vanished into thin air."

"So we're just gonna chat here?" spat Ichigo.

"Ichigo –" began Sado, but his orange-haired friend whirled around and bolted out of their sight.

Sado followed him instantly. Rukia swore under her breath and did the same. Ishida and Tatsuki chased after them too. For a couple of blocks, Ichigo ran without direction. He turned to a corner but a hand grabbed his shoulder, halting him. Annoyed, he glowered over his shoulder.

"We don't have time for this!" He snapped, wrenching his shoulder away from Sado's grip.

"We can't continue like this. We need a plan." Sado explained patiently.

Ichigo seemed to swell and vibrate. "Plan? Who needs a fucking plan? I'm gonna find her!"

"How are you going to find her? Run around Karakura, wasting time and energy? We need to track her reiatsu first!" Rukia retorted when she caught up, frantically trying to sense Inoue but to no avail. Panic started to fog her mind, distracting her.

Ichigo glared down at her. "How?" He growled between clenched teeth. "_That _presence – I _can't _felt it anymore!"

The furrow between her brows deepened. Indeed, it was gone – the presence that was wholly Orihime, it was gone. But she refused to tell him that and make him edgier that he already was. "We have to concentrate, you fool!" she said instead, a picture of forced calmness, sharpening her senses to locate Inoue.

It was taking a lot of effort in Ichigo's part not to tear down the street. In his state, it was impossible to simply stand there and _concentrate_. To him, it meant doing nothing. But he knew Rukia was right. Clenching his jaw, Ichigo looked away from them and shoved a hand on his forehead, the same hand she had healed months ago. He did not know what to do; as much as he hated to admit it, Ishida was better at sensing reiatsu. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to reach out to her in any way possible.

_Where are you, Inoue? _

His fingers clenched around orange strands, pulling at the roots of his hair. In his mind's eye, he saw swirling auburn hair. His hand reached out to catch those elusive strands but he grasped air, the locks slipping through the cracks between his fingers.

_Kurosaki-kun…_

His eyes snapped open, his chest aching all of a sudden.

_Inoue!_

Ichigo turned and tore down the road. He could feel it – Orihime's reiatsu – it was tiny, as small as a peck of dust. But he grasped at it, focusing on it like a shark after a drop of blood.

He turned to another corner, his friends close behind. They ran another block and came to a street. Stopping, Ichigo took a look around. Her presence was the strongest here – she had been here. However, there was no one in sight. The street was empty.

"She was here!" Ichigo said, looking around.

"You're right…" Rukia said, frowning. She gave the street a quick onceover. Aside from Orihime, something – or someone familiar to Rukia had also been here._ I can feel someone else's reiatsu here. A very familiar–_ She saw Ichigo turn to leave.

"Oi, Ichigo!"

Automatically, Sado made a move to follow, as well as Rukia, but Ichigo stopped and without looking at them, spoke. "Stay here."

"But —" Rukia stopped when she caught Ishida's eye. Ishida shook his head. With great effort, Rukia forced herself not to argue. Rather, she watched silently as her friend ran off.

:

Urahara eyed the street where Rukia told him they last felt Orihime's presence.

"What do you think?" asked Rukia. Behind her was Renji. Ichigo, Sado and Ishida were scouring Karakura at the moment.

"What do _you _think, Kuchiki-san?" He asked. Rukia hesitated, not meeting Urahara's gaze. Renji nudged her gently, but she remained quiet. She had her suspicions, but respect and loyalty prevented her from speaking her mind. Thankfully, Urahara did not further question her, going back to gazing thoughtfully at the street before them.

Suggestions of Orihime fleeing Karakura were dismissed by her friends. She would not abandon her friends, the same people she considered as family, without an explanation. During their conference at Urahara's on the day she disappeared, Ishida hinted that Orihime might be in Hueco Mundo; there must be a group of vengeful arrancars that targeted Orihime and dragged her back there. Ishida soon realized that proposing this scenario was a mistake in his part; as soon as Ishida finished talking, Ichigo demanded the shopkeeper to open a gateway for him to use. Urahara explained that if it were arrancars, they should have felt their presence. The group fell silent.

"You do have an idea, don't you, Urahara-san?" Ishida said after a long stretch of silence. The rest of the group focused on the said man.

"I have a theory. However, I don't want to make false accusations. It's against the law!" Urahara said with a chuckle.

Ichigo glowered. "Since when did you start to care whether you're breaking the law?"

"That wound me greatly, Kurosaki-san!"

"Whatever. Tell me your theory."

"Ara, I'm working on it!"

"Urahara-san—"

"It's not a very good theory!" Urahara chirped. "Why don't you all come back tomorrow morning," he suggested. "It was a tough day, obviously. Tomorrow, we'll continue. Sounds great, isn't it?" Ichigo's glare told Urahara it wasn't.

Grudgingly, they agreed to meet up the next morning and went home.

However, instead of going to Urahara's shop as agreed the night before, Ichigo went straight to Vizards' hideout. Ichigo remembered that one of them, a big, polite guy, could erect a barrier that can completely hide a person's reiatsu. Maybe she was there, training. But she did not inform Tatsuki, did she? Since the Hueco Mundo incident, she had made sure to notify Tatsuki of her whereabouts. When Ichigo arrived there, Orihime was nowhere in sight. Discovering her disappearance, Shinji and the others offered to lend a hand in searching.

While Ichigo and the others performed their own search, Tatsuki was going around the town in her bike. No alleys were left unsearched. By four o'clock in the afternoon, she decided to take a break. As she wheeled, she came across a park with a small playground for children and benches by every tree. From the corner of her eye, she caught a shock of orange hair. Tatsuki stopped the bicycle and turned her head toward a large tree. Under the shade of this tree, sitting on a bench was Ichigo.

She gripped the handlebars and shifted route. She started cycling in Ichigo's direction. He did not glance at her when she arrived, parked the slim vehicle and sat down next to him. The silence was long between them. Both of them were staring right ahead, concentrating on two different points somewhere far ahead. The silence became longer, but none of them broke it, content in listening to shuffles of leaves. Nearby, a dog was taking an idle stroll before its ears perked up and it ran. A pair of small birds darted off as the dog ran and barked.

Silence fell again.

"You're not here to break my face, are you?"

"Huh?" was Tatsuki's startled reply. "This isn't the — Oh." Tatsuki smirked at the memory of her punching Ichigo's face. "Well, you didn't keep anything from me this time." She said with a shrug.

They resumed gazing at the empty space before them.

"Ichigo, this is not your fault." She said, breaking the silence between them.

These seemed to be the wrong words to say because he flinched as though she had hit him. Tatsuki's frown deepened, watching him. She noticed some small things – the dark lines under his eyes, the void that seemed to fill his eyes. Vaguely, she remembered the small, orange-haired kid who kept returning to the riverbank, day after day, sitting there as though waiting for something – for _someone_; sometimes, this child will walk back and forth, back and forth. Then he'd sit down for an hour only to walk again.

Dismissing the brief feeling of loneliness, Tatsuki scoffed. "Orihime's not dead, you idiot. Stop moping as if she is."

This seemed to snap Ichigo out of his stupor as he glared at her. "Of course she's not!" He snapped. Tatsuki smirked inwardly at his reaction.

"Whoever behind this, we'll find them. All we have to do is find where she had gone to. If she is abducted, we'll find who's responsible and kick their ass. This is not the time for you to lose sight of yourself, Ichigo! You're stronger than this!"

She could not see his expression but she saw a muscle move in his jaw.

"You managed to find her before, didn't you? You saved her, you brought her home. I believe you _can _do it again. You will find her, save her and bring her home. Again."

He gazed off to the side, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I know."

Tatsuki smirked knowingly. "You two obviously got closer, huh?"

Frowning, Ichigo glanced at her, looking mildly annoyed. "What the hell are you implying?"

"I'm not stupid, you know." Tatsuki shrugged.

Ichigo's face pinched, his scowl becoming more pronounced than ever. Then, he turned his face away with a small shrug of his broad shoulders. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He deadpanned.

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes and stood. She pulled the bike toward her and straddled it. "I'm not in the mood to listen to a bout of denial from you." Ichigo whirled his head around to protest but Tatsuki continued, "Look at you. That's what happened when you put too much effort in concealing your emotions. You get overemotional—"

"I'm _not _overemotional!" Ichigo defended heatedly, looking as though she had insulted him.

Tatsuki simply gave him a blank stare that obviously infuriated Ichigo more. After a careless wave, she maneuvered the bike around until she was facing away from him. "Help me distribute the flyers tomorrow."

"I'll be at your house at eight."

"Yeah, see ya."

:

As Ichigo resumed his search, showing a recent photograph of Inoue – one of Tatsuki's many collections – to a random bystander, asking if they saw the girl in the picture, Rukia appeared from a corner and rushed to him.

"Hitsugaya-taichou has news for us." Rukia informed as soon as they were alone. Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her. Another Soul Society emergency? Can't they handle their own damn problem for once without his help?

"Rukia," he began as patiently as he could. "I'm busy. If it's another damn Soul Society problem, count me out. I have more important things to do." He turned to go but Rukia's next words froze him on his spot. He slowly turned around to face her.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

Rukia took a deep breath. She looked at him squarely in the eye and said, "Inoue is in Soul Society."

A pause.

"_They _took her to Soul Society."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to smile, help me remember how**  
summary. **"They took her to Soul Society."**  
note.** yay finally, ahaha! thanks very very very much for reading! this is like an interlude or something, i dunno! next chapter's longer, i think! tell me what you think, yeah? :] thanks again!


	20. to challenge mr mad hatter 2

**20.5 — interlude.**

Her steps were small, tentative. She breathed through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She hoped this breathing technique will relax her but seeing the man waiting for her, in black under white, she felt her heart thump again. She was not scared, but she was extremely nervous. It was her first time to go in this place without her friends. Venturing in this place alone, she realized, was nerve-wracking.

But… they would not hurt her, would they? They protected her town after all, and she had friends here as well. This thought helped her relax a little.

"Welcome, Inoue Orihime," The man announced, his voice strong despite his old age, when she finally reached the spot in front of him.

Orihime tried to smile, but it felt odd on her face.

"…to Soul Society."

:

An hour after their meeting, Hitsugaya soon found himself walking down a familiar pathway. His face was grave, his mouth in a thin, tense line. This, this was not his normal serious face, for upon closer inspection, he also looked sort of tired, his anxiety perfectly hidden under his perfect façade that only those few people who knew him like the back of their hand would notice.

In a minute, he arrived in a building, a block away from Tenth Division barracks. Sliding a door open, he entered and walked down a wooden, deserted hallway. Upon reaching the end, he turned to the right, and was greeted by two soul reapers who guarded the set of shoji doors at the end of the corridor. With a curt nod, he sent them away. For a whole minute, he stood there. After releasing a silent sigh, he slid a door open. This time he did not enter, preferring to stand in the doorway, casting a shadow over the floorboards.

The room was square-shaped and barely furnished. The large window was barred. In the center of the room, sitting on a zabuton was a woman with long blonde hair. She looked up to him, a smile on her lovely face, but it lacked its usual playfulness and warmth.

Folding her arms underneath her pendulous chest, Matsumoto managed a smug smile despite her status of being under house arrest.

She said, still smiling, "Ichigo will come, I'm sure of it."

"No one can enter Soul Society at present, Matsumoto." He said this in a flat tone as though he was very bored.

Blue eyes narrowed. "This _is_ Ichigo we're talking about. He's not the type to give up on his friends. He'll do _anything _to save them, even if he dies trying." Rangiku was not aware that Ichigo almost _did _die trying.

"_Goteijūsantai_ is ready."

Matsumoto let out a small, tinkling amused laugh. "Aizen was ready and what did happen?"

They leveled a gaze at each other. Then Matsumoto sighed deeply, her expression softening. "I'm not kidding, Taichou. Ichigo will come and who knows what he's going to do when he finds out _who _took Orihime-chan."

Hitsugaya did not reply.

"You are her friend too, aren't you?" Matsumoto added softly after a long silence. She did not need to hear his answer and Hitsugaya did not have to tell her; they remained quiet, and together, they relished the silence – the calm before the storm.

:

The 'room' she was told to stay in was rectangular with white walls and high ceiling. It was well-ventilated as well. There was one window, square-shaped with circular rods. Separating the hallway from the area she was staying in was a thick wall of diagonal, crisscrossing and vertical rods. There was no bed, but she was provided with a chair and a small cot in the corner. The view behind the window was unchanging. No clouds. No stars. No moon. Just a plain bright sky when it was morning and afternoon, and a plain black sky when it was evening. She spent most of her time sitting on the chair, watching the small, unchanging view.

She had no visitors. She did not mind; she thought it was for the best for she did not know what to say if someone visited her.

Orihime raised a hand to her hair, and her fingers met hair instead of a hairpin. A feeling of sadness jerked at her and she sighed and lowered her hand to her lap. On the day she arrived from Karakura, the Head Captain had asked her to surrender her hairpins. She did not want to, clutching them protectively. Yamamoto ignored her firm reply, turning his palm up toward her, waiting for her to surrender those precious things her brother had given to her.

"Inoue-san, I don't have all day."

"Do I really have to?" She had asked. "These are from my brother. His last gift before he died."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of them."

"If you're worried because I might use my powers to escape, I promise I wi—"

"I am not worried. It is impossible for you to escape, with or without your powers."

Her brows furrowed at that.

"But I'm not a risk taker, Inoue-san. Your hairpins, please."

Biting her lower lip painfully, she stared at her blue hairpins. Those hairpins were not mere hair accessories – they're part of her soul and heart. From beneath her lashes, she peered up to the Head Captain before her, back to her hairpins and while forcefully fighting back tears, she held them out, her fingers, her hands and arms shaking.

When he plucked them from her palm, Orihime felt like her a part of her soul had been torn away. Something inside her had dropped away, and she felt abnormally weightless.

"Escort her to her room."

And thus, she was here, alone – more alone than ever. What are they going to do with her hairpins, smash them? If they smashed them, what would happen to her fairies? The thought made her heart ache and sink in a bottomless well. The other half of her was concerned for her friends.

Her hands clenched into fists, bunching the fabric of the kimono on her knees.

The sound of approaching footsteps mildly startled her, pulling her out of her morose musings. A visitor? Maybe it was Rangiku-san, she thought happily. But a part of her wished it wasn't. She did not want Rangiku to see her like _this_. She knew the other woman worried for her and that worry might be compounded with guilt once Rangiku saw her. Orihime wanted to spare her from that feeling. Rangiku-san was kind to her and did not deserve to be burdened with such feeling.

Curiously, she looked over her shoulder. Her eyebrows rose when she finally recognized her visitor. Orihime stood, facing her approaching guest.

"Toshiro-kun?"

:

.

.

.

.

.

**collision.**

Ichigo slammed Hitsugaya against the wall and followed it up with a right hook. The back of the pale-haired captain's head hit the wall with a loud thud.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelped indignantly. Lunging forward, Renji and Sado took each of Ichigo's arms and restrained him. However, even with their build and muscle strength, both Renji and Sado found it difficult to hold the orange-haired boy back.

"You son of a bitch." Ichigo growled, twisting against the arms holding him back. Whilst struggling, the back of his uniform shirt rode up, revealing the small of his back. "I told you. Stay the _fuck _away from my friends – from Inoue!" To say that he was livid was an understatement.

"Ichigo," Rukia hissed, "Calm yourself!" But she was ignored.

Hitsugaya swiped the blood on the corner of his mouth with his thumb and looked at Ichigo, his expression cool which further aggravated Ichigo. "You have wasted five important minutes, Kurosaki." He said calmly.

Ichigo's face darkened. "You—"

"Please, Kurosaki-san, that's enough." Urahara's voice came from the doorway, cutting through the tense air that filled the room. Ichigo grunted and shrugged off Renji and Sado's arms, cursing under his breath.

"You knew, didn't you?" growled Ichigo, glaring at Urahara.

"It was a mere theory."

Ichigo swore again as the urge to hit the blond shopkeeper rose to the surface.

"Listen carefully." Hitsugaya said.

Furious, Ichigo eyed the captain with palpable disdain. Rukia spared Ichigo a warning glance, s_tay put, _her glare was saying.

"Tomorrow, Inoue Orihime will be stripped off of her powers." The announcement triggered mixed reactions: confusion, shock, disbelief.

"But her powers, aren't they parts of her soul?" Yoruichi said from Urahara's right side. "If you stripped her off of her powers…"

Hitsugaya gave a curt nod. "It will possibly cause her death."

Stiffening, Ichigo's eyes widened."Hang on, what the hell are you—"

"All lines of communication to and from Soul Society were disconnected." Rukia's eyes widened in understanding; that explained the difficulties she experienced in initiating communication with her captain. "No one, at present, can enter and leave Soul Society. This is to prevent any shinigami from leaving Soul Society without permission."

A deep frown wrinkled Rukia's forehead. "Did…" Rukia clenched a fist as she began to understand, "did we get sent here because we are—"

"Yes." Hitsugaya answered.

Rukia's breath hitched.

"There are no assignments for the two of you. The head captain is aware of your relationship with Inoue-san. Both of you were sent here to keep you out of Soul Society while we make preparations."

Renji glanced at Rukia. She looked stricken. His brows drew together in concern, putting a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"You have three more minutes, Hitsugaya-taichou," Urahara reminded, "before Soul Society detects the secret Senkaimon Ukitake-taichou managed to erect for you."

The captain looked at Ichigo, and when he spoke, his voice was quieter. "She wished for her friends not to rescue her."

As expected, Ichigo did not take this piece of information well. "What the hell are you talking about! I'm not going to sit here and do _nothing!_" Ichigo bellowed.

"The order of her arrest is due to her abilities." Hitsugaya continued. "They are considered dangerous and might cause disturbance in the balance of things and set off conflict in the long run. It was decided by the Captain Commander to remove her powers as a precautionary measure."

_A precautionary— _The last sentence did not sit well with Ichigo. "You said it yourself," Ichigo hissed, clenching and unclenching his fist in an attempt to calm his anger. "Removing her powers will _kill _her!"

"Possibly,"

_Possibly? You son of a—_

Ichigo considered pummeling him again. But Renji and Sado anticipated his movement and hauled him back before he could land another blow. Ichigo yanked his right arm away but Sado caught it again. "We're talking about _Inoue's _life here! She's not an object you can just get rid of anytime you wish! Let…_ me go!_" He growled at his two friends but Renji and Sado tightened their hold.

Hitsugaya's expression remained unaffected. "I am a captain. It is my duty to follow orders. But," he looked at Ichigo in the eye. "I am _not _you, Kurosaki."

Ichigo stilled, his struggles ceasing. Breathing raggedly, he shrugged off Renji and Sado with a grunt. Reluctantly, they released him but stood next to him, wary.

"She didn't give up. She wants to live and see her friends again. But she'd rather accept her fate than see you in harm's way and witness another Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo stiffened as though he was hit by an invisible fist.

_Another Hueco Mundo. _

Brows furrowed, Ichigo lifted a hand to his chest, eyes downcast. The feeling of death creeping closer. The black, bottomless pit— _Kurosaki-kun! _An abrupt rush of power. A desperate, obsessive desire to protect.

_She's calling me. _

_Stand up… I…I—_

:

"What do you mean we can't—" Renji started to protest.

"This is absurd!" exclaimed Rukia with disgust.

Urahara held up a hand to silence the two fuming shinigami. It did not deter them, however, from glaring at him with acrid animosity. "I know how much you wanted to help. But this time, it is prudent to stay out of this."

"No." Rukia replied firmly. "I am not going to stay here and _wait. _She's my friend, too!"

Urahara sighed. "Yes, Inoue-san is your friend. Unfortunately, it is _Soul Society _you will be entering by force this time. And you know, from experience, that Soul Society has very low opinion on law-breakers. Worst, Central 46 might step in and brand you as traitors."

Rukia fumed silently for she knew what he said was true.

"A long, fruitful career stretches before the two of you. I am sure Inoue-san does not want the both of you to jeopardize your careers as a shinigami. Unlike the two of you, Kurosaki-san is not completely under Soul Society's jurisdiction. He can do whatever he want with his free time~!" Urahara held out a hand to silence Renji as he continued. "If you're worried about Kurosaki-san, I'm sure Sado-kun and Ishida-san will make sure he doesn't do anything rash."

"I'm _not _worried!" snapped Renji as though insulted. Rukia let out a deep breath, attracting Renji's attention. "You're not seriously going to give in, are you, Rukia? I'm sure your brother will understand! He helped us once, remember?"

"This is different. This is _Soul Society, _not Hueco Mundo." Rukia said. "Nii-sama _might _understand but he doesn't have the power to make the other captains understand our bond with Ichigo and Inoue." She looked up to Renji. "I hate to say this, but we need to step out of this plan. I'm not saying we're not strong enough," she added hurriedly when Reni opened his mouth to protest, "but we have to consider what will happen to the two of _us_. We'll just give Nii-sama problems." By the look on his face, Rukia knew he was catching on. "I trust Ichigo. He'll be able to pull this off. He did it once."

"He only got lucky." Renji scoffed. Rukia raised a brow.

"I can't believe this. Are you worried about _Ichigo_?"

Renji flinched, indignant. "I'm not worried! I'm just—"

Ignoring Renji as he spluttered next to her, Rukia asked. "Have you told Ichigo about this?"

"Yes and he agreed completely."

"Then, it's best for them to leave now. They don't have much time."

"I'm almost done." Urahara completed the last part of preparation and the three of them watched as a senkaimon tower over them. A minute later, Ichigo, Sado and Ishida came down the stairs and stood before the gate. Rukia glanced at Ichigo's grim face.

"Of course, the moment you enter this Senkaimon and arrive to the other side, Gotei 13 will be alerted of your presences." Urahara held up a finger. "There is only one way: the fast way."

Ichigo grunted.

"Kurosaki-san,"

He arched a brow and narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time to waste here!"

Urahara sighed dramatically behind his fan. "As much as possible, don't let your emotions rule your head." He advised.

Ichigo scowled harder. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about!" Urahara said flippantly.

"I don't have any damn idea." He growled, a vein throbbing in his temple.

Urahara sighed, "Oh the great power of love~!"

"SHUT UP AND OPEN IT."

"Right, right! Good luck everyone!"

"Ichigo." He looked at Rukia over his shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid." Ichigo opened his mouth to protest. "And most importantly," the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. "Come back with Inoue."

"And don't destroy too many buildings!" Renji added, but he was responded with a hasty wave as Ichigo, Sado and Ishida entered the gate. "Rebuilding towers and courtyards are expensive!" he shouted after them.

"Since when did you start caring about Soul Society's finances?" Rukia demanded, incredulous.

Renji snorted, miffed. "Do you have any idea how _much _paperwork has to be done?" Rukia shrugged. "70 PAGES!"

:

"_Toshiro-kun?"_

_He did not respond. Smiling, Orihime came up to him, stopping before the bars that separated them. _

"_Toshiro-kun, you're a captain. Stand straight! Chin up!" Orihime said lightly._

_He lifted his gaze. The smile on her face softened as she told him. "Please, don't feel guilty. You're just doing your job."_

"_I know why I am here and why I have to give up my powers. I also know that I might d-die and never see my friends ever again." Briefly, her eyelids fluttered close. "I'm s-scared, too." She said in tone so soft he almost missed it. "It's normal, isn't it, to be scared?"_

_She bowed her head and clasped her hands together. Hitsugaya stared at her hands, those long fingers. Those hands had healed, had helped, had offered support. And tomorrow, they will turn into lifeless appendages. _

_A knot twisted in his stomach._

_Orihime untwisted her fingers and took a deep breath. He looked up to her face. Her eyes were clear, her smile – it was the same smile she had always worn._

"_There are so many things I have to do, words I need to say and people I wish I could have said proper good bye to. And I…" Her voice trailed off, and her eyes became limpid, unnaturally so. "I don't want to die. Not yet. I still have to…" She paused as though the words she wanted to say suddenly evaporated into thin air. _

_With her right hand, Orihime reached forward and grasped a rod._

"_Kurosaki-kun," her voice cracked, broke. Her eyes became filled with emotions. Hitsugaya frowned, trying to read her expression, to grasp the feelings in those eyes. But then her lashes lowered, obscuring them. She took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her words, her intonation, they were steady._

"_He's going to try to save me. He's the type of person who will never give up on his friends. I'm sure he'll go here and… and…" Her grip tightened, the strength in her voice faltering. Hitsugaya watched her face and saw her eyes cloud as though she was remembering something heartbreaking. _

"_I don't want another Hueco Mundo."_

_For a second, Hitsugaya was confused. When he realized what she was trying to say, a frown replaced his confused expression. "Are you trying to say that—"_

"_I will not allow him to get irreparably hurt again." She said firmly, strongly. "He will not understand, but I'm sure, in time, he'd move on. Same with Tatsuki-chan, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, Kuchiki-san… It's going to be difficult but they'd move on." _

"_You said it yourself. Kurosaki is not the kind of person who'd give up. Your loss will devastate him."_

_A flash of emotion flitted over her face. "Kurosaki-kun is a strong person."_

_He narrowed his eyes. "Do you not trust his strength?"_

_Orihime gave a soft smile. "I trust his skills, his powers, and his determination to protect all of us and I understand how important it is to him to protect others. That's what makes him special. That's what makes me want to protect him more; sometimes he's so busy looking after others that he forgets he needs protection too. His will to protect others makes him so strong and at the same time, makes him so vulnerable."_

_She sighed softly, and he watched her steel her resolve._

"_Toshiro-kun… Please. You're a captain and you're loyal to Seireitei, but…"_

_He looked at her; she was smiling._

"_You're my friend, too."_

…

…

…

…

Hitsugaya opened his eyes.

He pushed off the wall, his eyes not leaving the pink scarf which Matsumoto forgot in her haste. He stepped out of the room and slid the door close behind him.

:

.

.

.

.

.

"_Don't tell Kurosaki-kun I'm here."_

:

"Inoue-san." The voice was unrecognizable, mechanical.

Orihime did not turn around. She kept gazing at the window above her. "Yes?"

"Are you ready?"

The day seemed like a good day. She smiled to herself. Behind her, the bars slid sideward without a noise. With a dull _thump, _the bars stopped moving. Several footsteps approached and stopped. Clad in white robes and barefoot, she turned around. Her long, red hair fell like a curtain around her shoulders and over her narrow back.

"…Yes, I am."

:

"Well?" Ichigo demanded impatiently, his eyebrows drawing together. He shouldered Zangetsu with ease and glared around. Behind them, they left a pile of ruins, debris, crumbling walls and unconscious bodies. Shallow and deep fissures zigzagged across the ground. The alarm sounds were still ringing, high-pitched.

Ishida pushed up his glasses and gave him an icy glare. "Well, what?"

"Find her! You're the one with the freaky reiatsu radar here." Ishida looked affronted at Ichigo's description, looking as though the worst insult was lashed out at him.

"Your reiatsu is all over the place, saturating the area! How am I supposed to sense her spiritual pressure when you swathe us with your stinky reiatsu?"

"You son of—"

Sado tried to diffuse the tension. "Let's continue moving forward." But he was ignored; Ichigo was having a shouting and glaring match with Ishida who deflected every yell scathingly. Sado looked forward as he heard a flurry of hurried footsteps coming their way. Sado's back straightened; he squinted and patted Ichigo's shoulder – hard – to get his attention. He succeeded, and Ichigo and Ishida hushed to look over where Sado was squinting. They fell into defensive stance. Ichigo tightened his grip on Zangetsu while Ishida narrowed his eyes.

A figure appeared from the corner where the three of them were glaring at. "Ichigo!"

"Rangiku-san! " Ichigo lowered his sword and moved toward the woman. "Where's Inoue? Do you know where I can find her?"

The relief on Rangiku's face vanished. "I know where she is." She started to run. "We have to hurry! It's started!"

Ichigo glowered, remembering the information Hitsugaya had given to them. "_Shit!_" The four of them ran through a maze of alleyways. When they reached a corner, a handful of soul reapers were blocking the walkway as they talked among themselves. When they saw the three males, zeroing in on Ichigo's signature bright spikes, they became restless, gazing at them with wide, alarmed eyes.

"Is that—"

"It's _them!_"

"Again? Oh god…"

"Is _that _his natural hair color?"

"He looks scary…"

"Idiots! We have to stop them!"

"Shit, we don't have time for this." Ichigo groused, getting more agitated. He swung Zangetsu forward, and the group of soul reapers stiffened in panic, staggering back and drawing their swords.

"You go ahead, Ichigo." Sado suggested, stepping forward. "We'll take care of this." His right arm began to transform. Beside him, Ishida nodded.

"Don't do anything stupid, Kurosaki. Try to resolve this issue calmly."

Lowering his sword, Ichigo grinned fiercely. "Calm? Who said something about fixing _this _shit calmly?"

"Ichigo, they're going to perform the procedure in the Assembly Hall—" Rangiku had not finished giving instructions on where to find the said place when Ichigo turned and tore down the lane.

:

_When Hitsugaya entered, he left the door open. Matsumoto watched him approach. The sheathed sword in his right hand looked familiar— it was hers. Without looking at her, Hitsugaya placed the weapon in front of her knees. _

"_They're in the Assembly Hall."_

"_Taichou—" Her blue eyes widened as she looked up to him, but he spun around, facing the doorway._

"_They will start in fifteen minutes."_

:

The corner of her lips turned up in a small smile as Matsumoto gazed after Ichigo's retreating back.

_Taichou… Thank you._

:

Despite the disorder throughout Seireitei, the Assembly Hall and its occupants remained undisturbed. Being one of the most guarded areas, it had not suffered direct assault, and chaos hardly reached it. As such, despite the noise and disarray outside, it was quiet inside the wide gallery.

Unohana, Ukitake, Kyoraku, and Mayuri opted to stay while the rest of the captains and their lieutenants were off to handle the intruders. Ukitake assumed Byakuya wanted to deal with his sister and subordinate personally had they decided to aid Kurosaki. In front of the head captain, head bowed in resignation, Orihime stood.

Ukitake sighed, gazing at the human girl with pity. She was a nice girl, a precious friend to Kuchiki. As such, he had tried to help her by suggesting other means to address the issue but the head captain was resolute in his decision. Kyoraku idly commented about the exaggeration of Yamamoto's decision, earning a stern lecture from his teacher.

Yamamoto suggested to Orihime to meditate. Apparently, it will make the process easier. She nodded and tried to clear her mind but she kept seeing Ichigo's face. An ache settled in her chest which turned into dull throbbing. Inwardly, she shook her head, a frown forming on her face as she tried to focus. But more faces and memories resurfaced; Tatsuki, Rukia, Sado, Ishida, her high school friends, Renji, Urahara-san, Yoruichi, Rangiku-san, Kurosaki-kun_— _

A frown creased her forehead as her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt. A burst of spiritual pressure erupted in the air. Her eyes flew open in shock, her balance askew.

_K-Kurosaki-kun!_ She gasped, recognizing the reiatsu. _N-No… how did he –_

Suddenly, there was a shout outside the double doors, followed by a series of swearing and warnings, then loud thuds and shouts.

Yamamoto opened his eyes, displeased. The captains turned to the double doors. A small amused smile turned up the corners of Kyoraku's mouth while Ukitake looked alarmed. Unohana's serene façade was unbreakable.

"Inoue-san, we will proceed." The Captain-Commander stated.

Startled, Orihime turned to the head captain and nodded distractedly. "Y-Yes." She took a step toward the older man. Then the double doors swung open with a loud bang, hitting the walls, followed by a loud yell of her name.

"Inoue!"

Flabbergasted, Orihime spun around and stared at him, mouth opened.

When he saw her, Ichigo marched forward without preamble, Zangetsu in hand, his frown deepening in worry. "Are you alright, Inoue?"

His query jolted her out of her shocked stupor. "How— You—" Still stunned, Orihime could not string two coherent words together, her heart hammering hard against her chest.

He was a couple of steps away from reaching her when Yamamoto commanded. "Halt." Ichigo did, not as a courtesy but to properly glare at the head captain. This seemed to jolt Orihime back to the situation at hand, panic overriding her features.

"S—Sir, I—"

"How dare you show such disrespect, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's jaw clenched. "I'm here," he began calmly, his voice low, "to collect someone. She'd missed a couple of school days." He looked at Orihime, looking less menacing, holding out his hand to her. His lips twisted in a small smile. "It's time to go home, Inoue. Let's go."

"Kurosaki-kun… I—" A sharp thud interrupted her, a sound as loud as firecracker. The two of them turned to the head captain; Yamamoto had struck the floor with the tip of his cane. The tense silence that followed seemed to press down on them, but Ichigo was undeterred. Keeping his eye trained toward Yamamoto, he gestured to her with his free hand.

"Don't worry, Inoue. It'll be alright."

She opened her mouth to reply. "She is not coming with you." Yamamoto cut off, his eyes now opened.

"It's not for you to decide!" snapped Ichigo furiously, his calm façade shattering.

"I hope you are aware that you are in my territory, Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto's voice was a loud rumble inside the cavernous hall. "Your impertinence has been a constant source of annoyance to me. I must advise you not to breach the limitation of my tolerance." His gaze hardened. "I will ask you to leave before I myself remove you from where you stand."

Ichigo's face darkened, a small, fierce smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. "Make me."

With a gasp, Orihime's eyes widened. "No! Kurosaki-kun!" She whipped her head around toward Yamamoto whose frown became deeper at the brazen reply. "P-Please, sir— don't hurt him!" Her plea, however, was ignored when the wizened shinigami stepped forward.

"This is bad." Kyoraku mumbled, shaking his head. Ukitake grew more anxious, a contrast to the calm façade of Unohana. Mayuri scoffed, muttering under his breath, _foolish humans._

Distressed, Orihime twisted her fingers together, thinking on what to do to help Ichigo in any way possible. She will _not _allow him to get hurt— ever again. But what can she do? Five captains, one of which was the head captain, surrounded the two of them. What can someone like her do in this situation? There must be _something _she can do.

"Fool," Yamamoto scoffed. His index finger flicked quickly in Ichigo's direction, and at once, six beams of light appeared and pierced Ichigo's midsection. His breath was suddenly knocked out of him as he fell to his knees.

Orihime gasped.

"Shit!" _You son of a… _He clenched his fists and struggled against the beams immobilizing him. Panting, he looked up and saw Orihime's frantic expression, her brown eyes wide with panic. He managed a crooked twist of his lips. "Don't worry." Her countenance, however, grew more anxious. "It'll be alright." He breathed and struggled harder, grunting.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

A faint memory started to resurface.

_She's calling…_

He gritted his teeth.

_She's calling me. I can hear her._

Spidery cracks began to appear on each beam immobilizing him.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.

His messy hair lifted off his forehead as Ichigo raised his chin. Jaw clenched, molars grinding as his eyes flashed furiously, brightly, like glowing embers. Growling, he thrashed his arms around until a beam shattered, freeing his right arm.

Another beam, followed by another, splintered in quick succession until there was only one left. Gritting his teeth, Ichigo raised his right leg, now kneeling in one knee. Ichigo reached for the remaining immobilizing shaft with his free hand and shattered it to pieces.

_I will protect her._

"Kurosaki-kun…"Briefly, Orihime's eyes fluttered close, her fists clenching in firm resolve.

Eyes narrowed, Ichigo stood. He tightened his grip on Zangetsu, his knees bending, preparing to leap forward. But a large, triangular shield appeared abruptly, spinning fast, in front of him, forcing him back. A golden dome followed, enveloping Ichigo. Recognizing the shield, Ichigo looked around for the red-haired owner. He saw Orihime; she was not looking at him. Gritting his teeth, he pounded on the surface; it did not budge. Moreover, every time he hit it with his fist, he was repelled, an invisible force firing back at him.

"Inoue!" He yelled, pounding his fist against the shield. "Let me out! Inoue!"

"Inoue Orihime," Yamamoto bellowed. Orihime stiffened. Ichigo jerked in alarm, _shit! _

"Even without your hairpins, you managed to summon your powers." He took her hairpins from inside one of the sleeves of his kosode. Orihime swallowed, her brows furrowed. "It seemed that despite your unassuming appearance, you're quite stubborn." His eyes narrowed. "Your powers are deviously simple and dangerous; pretending to be plain and harmless, but like a moth to a flame, deviants get attracted to that_ power._ Who would not want to supersede the events made by god? Who would not want to trespass into god's territory and challenge fate?"

"Sensei," Ukitake finally spoke, "There must be another way to settle this," he began calmly. "This is too harsh and unfair to a teenage girl like her! She's so young…"

"What did I say about sacrifices?" interrupted Yamamoto. "The life of one person is nothing compared to the lives of many."

"She's not just one person!" Ichigo bellowed from inside the shield. "She's _Inoue!_"

Orihime was lanced with an overwhelming emotion.

"Sooner or later, her powers will attract unwanted attention. She will be used and manipulated against you. You will get distracted and reckless, and Soul Society will have to step in and fix the mess."

Ichigo's eyes hardened coldly. "Don't talk about Inoue like that." Another burst of reiatsu shot up in the air. Orihime shuddered, feeling her shield tremble. _This feeling! No, no, he's—_

"Kurosaki-kun!" Spidery cracks started to spread across the golden shield. It shuddered violently before eventually breaking into shards. Fierce reiatsu burst free like a tidal wave and cracks began to form underneath Ichigo's feet at the force of his spiritual pressure.

"If you want to kill Inoue," his eyes, golden-brown, narrowed as he lifted Zangetsu in front of him, "you have to kill me first!"

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to challenge mr. mad hatter 2**  
summary. **"If you want to kill Inoue, you have to kill me first!"**  
note.** this chapter has two of my many favorite quotes from the manga :) what are your favorite quotes? also, this chapter was loooong and DIFFICULT. D: according to Microsoft, this underwent 51 revisions, ahaha! thanks very much for reading! i greatly appreciated it :D

ok, next chapter, there would be:  
**1** a sprinkle of Renji_**&**_Rukia because… just because!  
**2** a pink bunny hoodie because Orihime looks adorable in it!  
**3** some sort of realization?  
**4** an ichihime convo!  
**5 **a moment which requires muscular coordination involving thirty-four facial muscles and one hundred twelve postural muscles, and the most important muscle involved is the orbicularis oris :)


	21. to the head, a rush of blood

Ichigo started to propel forward. Then Orihime spun to face him.

His heart clenched, limbs tensing, faltering. When she fully stepped in his way, Ichigo's breath hitched. The element of surprise stunned him, as though for a split second, time froze his limbs before time itself jumped forward. His feet skidded to a halt. Puzzled, he looked at her, a question in his eyes.

When she lifted her chin and met his bewildered stare, his confusion grew. He wanted to ask her what was wrong; he wanted to tell her that everything will be alright. Blowing out a breath, Ichigo took a careful step.

"Inoue, what—" He stopped when she spun around, facing Yamamoto. Her steps did not falter as she began to walk toward the head captain. Ichigo got more confused, reaching out a hand to her. "Inoue, Stop!" Quickly, he moved towards her to seize her arm and grab her but she walked faster, dodging his hand, his touch. The action shocked Ichigo. A flicker of hurt masked with bewilderment emerged on his face as he watched the distance increase between them.

_What's going on? Inoue… Wait, don't—_

Orihime's heart was racing, but this was not the time to be nervous. In every step she took, her determination increased tenfold. She will never allow him to get irreparably hurt— ever again. She stopped four paces from the Captain Commander. The older man looked at her but Orihime kept her chin up, took a deep breath and expelled it in one subtle blow. "Please." Her tone was husky – her voice turned husky whenever she was tense. "I have a proposition."

The man raised a white, bushy eyebrow, but he lowered his cane and rested his hands on top of the handle. "Let me hear it."

Orihime nodded back. _Please, make this work!_

Behind Orihime, Ichigo darted his gaze around, edgy, ready to attack, to defend if necessary. He did not know how long he waited, tension coiling in his body, his muscles clenching over bones. He could not hear their discussion and it frustrated him. In spite of his aggravation, he did not intrude.

Ichigo saw Yamamoto give Orihime a narrowed look. Ukitake said something, looking worried, but the head captain spoke and spared Ichigo a glance over Orihime's shoulder; Ichigo glared darkly, gripping his sword tighter. The look apparently did not have any effect, and Yamamoto returned his gaze on the girl. Ukitake spoke again, and Unohana said something that made Ukitake sigh and nod.

Ishida and Sado soon arrived. "What's happening here?" Ishida asked.

"I don't have any fucking idea," Ichigo growled, keeping his gaze on Yamamoto and Orihime, his nostrils flaring in irritation and anger. Not one to be patient and already fed up with merely waiting, Ichigo demanded, "are you alright, Inoue?" But Orihime did not answer him; she did not even glance at him – which for some reason irked him. Ichigo took a step forward but Ishida stopped him, telling him not to disturb the negotiation.

When Yamamoto handed Orihime her hairpins, the three males stiffened in surprise. Now that was way too easy, wasn't it? They watched Orihime nod and say something, prompting Yamamoto to nod as well. Orihime hurriedly put on her hairpins, still not looking at their direction. Then she spun around, facing them.

Ichigo stiffened, an awkward smile tugging at his lips. "Inoue…"

A smile lifted the corners of her lips but Ichigo noticed a certain restraint in the way she smiled. With one last deep bow at Yamamoto, she made her way to them, and Ichigo hurried to meet her.

"Are you alright?" he demanded as soon as he reached her, eyebrows furrowed in worry. Orihime smiled at them brightly.

"I'm fine!" she chirped. However, Ichigo was not completely relieved. His frown deepened as he put a hand on her shoulder, head lowering to her eyelevel.

"Inoue, did they hurt you? What happened? What did you guys talk about?"

"Kurosaki-kun, you don't have to worry anymore," Orihime answered quietly, not meeting his eyes. Then she smiled up at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Isn't it amazing that everything worked out in the end without a fight?"

Ichigo stared at her. She was avoiding his questions. He opened his mouth to ask her again but changed his mind. She looked exhausted despite her effort to hide it behind her smiles. It was not fair to make demands when she looked as if she had not slept for days. For now, he would leave the subject alone. He chose to redirect his frustration elsewhere. Ichigo's gaze flickered in the direction of the captains before going back to stare down at Orihime.

"It is, but I'm still angry. I told them to stay away from you but they didn't listen."

"I'm not hurt at all." She smiled at him, trying to pacify him.

"But—"

She placed a hand on his arm. "It's okay now, it's over." Ichigo took a deep breath. "Are you hurt anywhere, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I'm fine." He let his arm fall back to his side.

"I'm glad! What about you, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun?" The two responded that they were unhurt. Ukitake approached them with a small smile.

"I could prepare a senkaimon for you right now."

As much as he respected Ukitake, Ichigo could not help but narrow his eyes at the captain as he nodded stiffly. "As soon as possible. I want us to get the hell out of here," he grunted, still visibly pissed off.

Ukitake smiled patiently. "I understand."

"Let's go, Inoue." His tone still held an edge in it.

"Okay…"

Noticing Orihime's fidgety movements, Ichigo stiffened, realizing how blunt he had sounded when he told her they were leaving. He stood directly in front of her, halting her movements.

"Sorry." He lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Surprised, Orihime looked up. "I didn't mean to bully you or something. I just want us to get out here as soon as we can. I don't," his eyebrows drew together in a deeper frown. "I don't think you're safe here." He met her gaze, smiling a little. "Plus, Tatsuki and Rukia are waiting for you."

Orihime gave a watery smile. "…Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." The corner of his mouth turned up, his brow relaxing. Ichigo turned, leading the small group out of the hall. Unnoticed by Ichigo, Orihime glanced back over her shoulder, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"Inoue?"

"Oh! Coming!" She offered a quick, deep bow in the captains' direction before jogging after her friends.

:

"That's it?" Rukia looked bewildered. Ichigo nodded.

"To be honest, I find it slightly suspicious." Ishida declared.

"It's unbelievable!" snorted Renji, slapping his palms on his knees. "They would not go as far as sending Rukia and I here and locking up Soul Society if they're not serious about Inoue."

"That's right," Ishida agreed. "There must be something going on. Inoue-san talked to your head captain. Kurosaki asked her about it but she's…"

"What?" Rukia narrowed her eyes, turning to Ichigo who turned his gaze on the shoji screen that served as a partition between the group and the room where Orihime was resting.

"She's unusually tight-lipped about it," Ishida answered.

"She's not saying anything?"

"That's not it. She just won't talk about what she had discussed with the head captain."

Rukia leaned back, thinking. Unable to come up with anything, she sighed. "She'll talk when she's ready. The most important thing is that she's safe and they didn't manage to remove her powers." She turned to Ichigo again. "Aren't you going home to check on your body?"

Ichigo jolted, turning to her. "What, did Kon do something?"

"I'm not sure," Rukia said with a shrug. Ichigo scowled.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

Rukia glared. "I didn't have time to babysit after your body. I was busy."

"Damn." Ichigo scrambled to his feet. "I have to get back to my body and check on my sisters. I'll be back tomorrow to talk to Inoue about what happened. I know there's something she's not telling us… You two can look after her for a while, can't you?" Rukia nodded in reply.

They watched Ichigo heft Zangetsu over his shoulder and leave. Ishida and Sado soon followed after saying they'll be back tomorrow. Alone with Renji, Rukia sighed and folded her slender arms in front of her chest.

"Does it mean we can go back to Soul Society now?" asked Renji.

"I suppose," answered Rukia distractedly. Renji noticed her slightly agitated state and inched closer.

"Oi, what's wrong?"

Blinking, Rukia looked up to Renji. She scratched her chin. "I don't know…" she answered vaguely. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That the captain commander simply let Inoue go."

Renji shrugged, "maybe he realized he was overreacting." Closing his eyes, he lounged more comfortably, stretching his long toned legs. Rukia stared at those long extremities absently. Renji cracked one eye open and saw her staring.

"Oi, stop or I'll blush," he drawled with a smirk. Rukia blinked and looked at his face.

"Huh?"

He rolled his eyes, still smirking. "You're staring at me." Rukia turned red, eyes wide before narrowing into slits. As expected, her facial reaction was joined with a physical one in the form of a painful kick on his legs, wrenching a strangled yell of pain from him.

"Idiot," snorted Rukia and stood, nose in the air. She left the room, huffing.

:

Clutching the doorframe, Ichigo fumed. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's not in her room." Rukia did not seem unfazed by Ichigo's foul temper.

The scowl on Ichigo's face deepened as expected. "That is _obvious._" He seethed. "Did she leave a message? Did she at least tell you where she was going?"

"I wasn't here when she left." Rukia answered. This seemed to be the wrong words to say for Ichigo looked as if he were going to combust.

"Where were _you_?" he hissed.

Rukia sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I was talking to my captain and when I returned, she was gone."

Releasing a growl of frustration, Ichigo raked a hand over his thick hair. Rukia raised an eyebrow at his obvious agitation. "What are you so worried about? She probably went home to rest more."

"She better have." Nodding curtly at Rukia, he left the room and proceeded to exit the shop. He stopped at a traffic light, glaring at the pavement. If Orihime was up and wandering around, then she had rested well enough and now ready to answer his questions. When they arrived from Soul Society, he gave her space and time to rest even though it took a lot of effort in his part not to demand answers. First thing in the morning, they will talk and she will answer a couple of questions. Those were his plans. But then, an empty futon and an empty room were waiting for him upon his return.

_Fine,_ he grunted. She had escaped him for now, but it would not be hard to find her.

:

Right arm raised, palm up toward the sun, her fingers spread and joined together, afternoon sunlight filtering through the gaps intermittently. Orihime watched the sunlight appear and disappear through the gaps of her fingers with a small smile playing her lips.

Feeling tired, she lowered her arm, leaned her head back against the tree trunk behind her and gazed at the sky dotted with clouds here and there. Keeping her eyes half-lidded, bright rays filtered through the cracks of her long lashes.

Orihime originally planned to see Tatsuki and tell her she's safe and unhurt, but the need to be alone with her thoughts overrode her desire to see her best friend. She needed to calm her nerves and clear her head before she face her friends and most of all, Ichigo.

At the thought of the orange-haired boy, she winced inwardly. He would be so pissed; after all, she had left without saying a word.

_Kurosaki-kun is not very good in tracking reiatsu. _She thought with a small smile. _I'll be fine for a while until Kuchiki-san or Ishida-kun finds me._

The brightness became too much so she closed her eyes. The soft orange glow that surfaced behind her eyelids helped put her mind at rest. But a question still managed to breach the forced serenity of her mind: _what was she doing?_

Yesterday, she had overheard Ichigo's intent to talk to her. The moment she woke this morning, her first thought was to leave quickly, go to her apartment, change and take a walk. Soon, she found herself in the small forest of the park. The serenity offered by nature made her relax. When she got tired, she sat down at the base of a tree and gazed absently at the particles of light with thoughts that stubbornly refused to leave her head.

Orihime felt guilty for leaving without a word to her friends; in her haste to leave, she had forgotten to leave a message. She'd have to apologize to Rukia for worrying her and thank Urahara for his hospitality tomorrow.

Truthfully, Orihime was not running away from Ichigo but from the inevitable conversation at hand. Being a good friend he was, Ichigo will be concerned and ask questions, questions she was not ready to answer, questions she was not about to answer. Not yet, at least. He would be grumpy and maybe even get frustrated with her for a while, but he'd eventually leave it alone.

:

"Inoue!"

Silence was the only thing to be heard from behind Orihime's door. After knocking several times, his patience snapped and Ichigo effortlessly kicked the door open. Defenseless, the door swung backward and hung awkwardly and slightly off its hinges.

"Fuck," he cursed after a quick glance told him the apartment was empty. Glaring at his path of destruction, a modicum of guilt cropped up. Ichigo left quickly after propping the door back up.

He was not the type to think over situations; facing challenges head-on was his style, but this time, he slowed his pace and tried to strategize. It seemed that Orihime was well adept in this ridiculous game of hide-and-seek.

After ruling out the possibilities and asking several residents if they'd seen the auburn-haired girl, Ichigo soon found himself walking through the woods of the park. He had resorted earlier into calling Tatsuki to ask her where Orihime liked to be when she was alone.

And sure enough, curled up at the base of a tree was Orihime. Stopping a few steps away from the girl, he took out his cell phone. After sending a quick message to Sado, he stowed it back to his pocket and fixed Orihime a hooded gaze.

Wearing a sweater with something that looked like bunny ears attached to the top of the hood and using her arms to cushion her head, Orihime slept deeply. Her small feet were bare, her slim legs folded carefully to keep the skirt of her dress from riding up. A pair of flats was beside her feet.

The peaceful expression on her face caused Ichigo to feel a bit of hesitation. But they needed to talk— he _needed_ to know why she left and what she talked about with the old man Yamamoto. The feeling of unease at the pit of his stomach refused to leave, and he will not feel completely at ease unless he heard it directly from her what they had discussed.

Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her.

"Inoue."

Her nose scrunched up as a response and she turned her face away with a small whine. Ichigo took hold of both her shoulders, forcing her into a sitting position. She leaned forward, boneless and breathing deeply.

"Inoue," he repeated.

"Aliens," she breathed groggily, causing Ichigo to frown. "That was a good dream…"

The corner of his lips twitched. Her shoulders lifted as she heaved a deep sigh. She rubbed her eyes and her eyelids slowly lifted, revealing glazed brown eyes. After blinking several times and finally realizing who was holding her, her eyes widened in surprise.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!" she yelped and moved back instinctively, but his hold on her prevented her from doing so.

Amber eyes narrowed as Ichigo grunted as a reply. "Yeah, it's me."

"I… Um," stammered Orihime, looking away from his intense gaze. "Um, did something happen?"

The small distance between them seemed to make her uncomfortable. Ichigo slowly released her shoulders and leaned back. His eyes scanned her for injuries. She looked relatively fine, save the fidgeting fingers and blushing face, causing him to worry.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine!" she chirped and dropped her gaze.

"Are you sure? You're getting redder."

"Positive! I'm healthy and fit! Um, Kurosaki-kun, I'm really s-sorry but I have to go—" Orihime stopped speaking when Ichigo wrapped his fingers around her elbow to stop her from getting up to her feet. Wide-eyed, she looked at him quizzically.

"You're not going anywhere."

"But—"

Ichigo shook his head. "We have to talk."

Orihime frantically tried to concoct excuses. "I, uh, um—"

"You said you're healthy and fit," said Ichigo slowly. "So I think this is the best time for us to talk."

Orihime sighed inwardly. So much for sorting out her thoughts on her own. "…Okay."

He released her arm and stood. Orihime took the hood off her head, unfolded her legs and stood as well.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Ichigo gazed off to the side, brows furrowed. He wanted to talk but he did not know how to start a discussion with a girl— especially _this _girl. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at Orihime's face from the corner of his eye. Patient as always, she waited for him to start talking. After all, it was he who wanted to talk.

"I want you to tell me what happened there." He said finally.

"There?"

"I'm sure you told him something that convinced him to let you go that easily. What was it? I'm glad you're okay, don't get me wrong, but I can't help feeling that there is something fishy going on."

A smile curved her lips. "Kurosaki-kun, you don't have to worry anymore. Please trust me. Everything is alright."

"I do trust you, Inoue. It is _Soul Society_ I don't trust! What did they tell you? What did they ask in exchange?"

She stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Amber eyes narrowed. "They let you go _too _easily. There must be a catch, right?"

"There's nothing, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo was undeterred. "Then what did you tell him to change his mind?"

She bit her lower lip before answering. "It wasn't only me… Ukitake-san, Kyoraku-san, and Unohana-san also helped convinced Yamamoto-san."

He studied her closely. "What did they tell the old man?"

Orihime lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the cuff of her sweater. "I'm too young and the procedure is risky." She answered quietly without looking up to Ichigo.

There was something odd in her tone that gave him an idea that what she said was not entirely true. Moreover, Ichigo found it unbelievable that such arguments will easily sway the stubborn old man's decision. "…Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" He pressed on.

She peered up at him, a wrinkle on her brow. "Kurosaki-kun, I've told you everything."

Ichigo frowned. "No, you haven't. I know you're an honest person. That's why it confuses me that you're not telling me everything."

"But I've told you—"

"There's something else you haven't told me. I know there is, I can feel it!" he said stubbornly.

Her prediction was correct, Orihime thought tiredly; this conversation was going to be emotionally draining. "This isn't your problem, Kurosaki-kun."

Her reply startled Ichigo but he narrowed his eyes at her. "Of course it's my problem! I know you're hiding something from us! What is it, Inoue? You have to tell me."

She let out another deep breath. She could never lie to Ichigo, but at the same time, there were things she needed to keep to herself. _A deal is a deal._ "I've handled it already. You don't have to worry anymore, Kurosaki-kun. Please, may I go now?"

"We're not finished."

A small smile appeared on her face, hovering over her lips. "Kurosaki-kun is very stubborn."

"So are you." He smirked. Determination blazed in his eyes, making them looked even more vibrant.

Orihime tried to sidestep him, but he blocked her easily with his much larger body. "Kurosaki-kun…"

"You know what's frustrating?"

"…Eh?"

"You have a bad habit of leaving without saying anything. For someone so considerate of other people's feelings, you don't consider what I'll—" he hastily corrected himself, "_we'll_ feel with your disappearing acts!"

A twinge pulled at her heart. For a second there, she wanted to tell him everything. What the deal was. What she needed and promised to do. _Don't be selfish. _These words rang in her ear, a warning — _stop._

Orihime pressed her lips together. The less she told him, the better.

Her prolonged silence made Ichigo sigh and rake a hand over his thick bright spikes. "I'm sorry if I'm making you feel as if I'm interrogating you. I just want you to be honest with me and tell me whatever it is that concerns you. It sounds selfish, but that's the way I feel."

The way she looked at him with new concentration unnerved Ichigo, made him feel unsure, vulnerable. He rubbed his palms against his jeans. Then she licked at her lips, drawing his attention.

"Why do you have to know?"

Ichigo blinked at her question. Was not it obvious? "Because I need to know," he answered bluntly.

"Why do you _need _to know?"

How can he explain it to her? He was not the type of guy who can express things in concrete form and transform feelings into words. There were feelings he can convey easily, feelings that did not have to be pondered very carefully. With Orihime, however, he needed to tread carefully. He needed time to sort out his thoughts and feelings. Ichigo felt he was trapped in something wonderful and frightening at the same time, and he did not know how to respond to it properly. Furthermore, he also needed to protect himself from possible unpleasant results brought about by these pesky feelings.

What Ichigo was sure of was not knowing everything about her was frustrating, a mental and physical strain. There was a need to know where she was, who she was with, what was she doing. Every detail must be known.

"Kurosaki-kun." Her voice broke him out of his musings. He looked at her. "Don't stress yourself over this. It doesn't matter."

"No."

She blinked.

"It matters. It fucking matters to me that you're hiding something from me." Orihime opened her mouth to protest but Ichigo continued. "Do you not trust me?"

"I trust you, completely!"

Brown eyes blazed down at her. "I'm not an expert in reading people's feelings but I can at least read _you._" This seemed to terrify her. "What is it that you're not telling me?" Forgetting discretion, Ichigo took her upper arms and pulled her toward him, startling Orihime.

With wide eyes, Orihime stared at him. Her eyes were dark brown, pools of convoluting feelings which Ichigo wished he could untangle so that he can read them correctly. Her eyes flickered over his face then to the small distance between them.

"Why?" she whispered, slightly breathless. "Why are you doing this to me?"

His grip around her arms tightened as though it will help calm his heart which was suddenly beating so hard, a wild thundering in his ears. "Because I…" Why — her nearness, her scent, her eyes, _those lips—_

Ichigo gritted his teeth. He was fast losing his head, losing himself. To get away from her is a smart move but—

_Shit._

He will probably regret it later. And most of all, he will probably get slapped.

It did not matter.

Ichigo tilted his head to the side and kissed her.

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to the head, a rush of blood**  
summary. **"Why?" she whispered. "Why are you doing this to me?"**  
note. **that cliffhanger was a little mean :D the good news is, i'm ¾ done with typing my notes; the only problem is that i have to stop being lazy and continue punching the keyboard with my fingers… anyways! thanks very much for reading! i bet there are heaps of atrocious grammar and spelling mistakes, i'm so sorry! :] i will fix them as soon as i can! your reviews for the last chapter are very much appreciated, thanks so much for your time and kind words, they're very motivating!

ok, next chapter:  
**1 **a continuation of _that_ moment! (*v*)  
**2** realizations  
**3** jeans and a kiss or kisses  
**4 **a sprinkle of rukihime!


	22. to want more, i start

Different emotions, sensations and thoughts engulfed the entirety of her being.

Orihime felt like she was being tossed by large, warm waves, but at the same time, she felt safe, a sense of belongingness. Her pulse raged underneath her skin and a fog blurred her senses. But she was fully aware of the pressure applied against her lips, around her waist and arms.

And it felt, _it felt_—

A large, warm hand supported the back of her head. The hold was firm, yet gentle. Violently her heart thumped against her ribs. Heat, condensed like a thick cloud, engulfed her, enclosing her in a heated embrace. The pounding in her ribs and temples increased, becoming a throb that was both delicious and dizzying.

His lips tasted like his scent, Orihime realized, in spite of the haze that numbed her senses.

For his part, instincts had fully dictated Ichigo's actions. He wondered if he was kissing her right— was there a right and wrong way in kissing? He did not know, had no idea — but this thought took a backseat as he traced the shape of her lips with the tip of his tongue, tentatively, before growing bold and finally diving in, letting his instincts guide him. He, after all, possessed razor-sharp instincts.

The need for air forced him to pull away moments later but he kept his hold on her, strong and firm, but there was an impression of uncertainty in his grip that suggested his timidity over touching her familiarly. Her face against his, Ichigo felt Orihime take shuddering breath after breath, wisps of warm air touching his lips. He opened his eyes and studied her face, flushed with color, her eyes still shut.

This, faces against each other, made Ichigo feel closer to her. And when he was close to her, he felt strange things. Like vulnerability, yearning, curiosity and more curiosity. He felt he was in danger. Of what, he was not entirely sure.

Her eyes slowly opened, their gazes connecting, her brown eyes with specks of gold here and there, and his amber-colored ones. Ichigo did not notice those golden spots before. He was never one to take note of people's eye colors. Orihime was breathing softly, a naked look of wonder and question on her face, in her eyes. He found it mesmerizing, the directness of her gaze, so open to him. Her lips, pink, velvety. And he could not help himself. He wanted more.

So he took what he wanted.

Orihime gasped in new surprise. Thoughts and questions that started to form in her mind dissolved a second later. Closing her eyes, she let him have his fill, an act of total surrender. The feeling of thrill and pleasure that raced through her body from being kissed by the person she loved was staggeringly overwhelming, staggeringly intimate. But she, she really needed to _breathe_.

Ichigo seemed to feel the same need. With gargantuan effort, he pulled away from her lips, a difficult task for his senses were hyperaware of their close proximity, of her nearness which was both alluring and frightening. They were too close, joined from chest to thighs. Something in him, perhaps primitive or instinctive, craved to prolong this closeness.

"I know I should apologize," began Ichigo when he re-gathered his bearings, forcefully shaking himself out of his daze. Those kisses had been… He gave himself another hard shake. "But I'm not sorry for kissing you." His words seemed to jerk Orihime out of her stupor. Her eyelids flew open.

"Y-You… Um, I-I…" Orihime promptly closed her mouth, wide-eyed, looking so lost, flustered, confused. She even started to hyperventilate.

Ichigo noticed. "Hey." He rubbed her back soothingly with one hand.

When Orihime began to breathe normally again, she began to squirm in the circle of his arms, undecided whether to leave his embrace or stay. "I have to go." Her tone lacked resolve, her actions half-hearted. Pushing him off of her was like pushing a ten-wheeler delivery truck.

"We're not finished."

Deeming it was safer to fix her gaze on the collar of his shirt from which a portion of his collarbones peeked, she spoke in fragments. "T-This can't… W-We can't— not when I—" she caught herself and stopped.

"What?" Ichigo urged, frowning at her bent head.

Orihime took a deep breath. His close proximity and his scent kept distracting her. Being close to him like this was unfamiliar and at the same time, familiar. But for her to function without blushing so much, Ichigo needed to keep his hands off of her.

"May you please let me go?"

Ichigo's frown deepened, turning into a scowl. He did not like this feeling of being rejected. However, no matter how wounded it made him feel, he respected her wish and his arms fell from around her while he stepped back to give her space. Ichigo felt restless, his hands and arms itched to touch and hold something, so he clenched his hands and shoved them inside the front pockets of his jeans.

Orihime staggered backward with a sigh, conflicted. She was relieved, but when he released her, a feeling of almost-loss instantly swallowed her up. She missed it already, that closeness.

"Inoue," Ichigo began. "Look, I just want us to talk. …Alright," he sighed, gazing off to the side as he raked a hand over his bright spikes and making them messier, wilder. "I'm sorry for invading your space like that."

Flicking her gaze upward, Orihime peered up at him. He did not look repentant. If anything, apologizing to her for _kissing_ her seemed to annoy him, like it was not something to apologize for since it was an episode which both parties enjoyed.

"But I don't regret it. It's something I want." Ichigo added firmly, staring back at her with the same blazing determination in his eyes that he wore in battles.

Her eyes widened at his blunt admission. Stunned, cheeks flushed and heart fluttering violently, Orihime looked down, finding his gaze too intense. "You're confusing me…" she whispered, gripping her skirt with one hand.

Ichigo kneaded the back of his neck, finding tension there, suddenly conscious of the heat covering his face. "You're confusing the shit out of me too." A small smile hovered over her lips. It was a good sign that encouraged Ichigo. "Let's talk, alright?"

The smile faded. Orihime looked up at him, seeking his understanding as she told him. "I'm tired, Kurosaki-kun." And confused, wondering about bad timing, regrets, circumstances.

Ichigo took a step forward to her, unwilling to yield. "Inoue…"

The bind that held her composure together was fast becoming weak. "I _do_ have something I want to tell you but I can't explain it to you right now. I… I need time, please."

Ichigo's eyelids lowered earnestly as he studied her. It was true that he felt something for her, something he did not think he understood now but which was starting to grow continuously in a subtle way. In time, when not addressed correctly, _this _might get out of control. And most devastatingly, he might lose her if he continued to dawdle. But he was the sort of person who cannot put his feelings into right words. He doubted he could explain it to her now. Worst, he might say the wrong words and scare her off.

Orihime must have seen the conflict raging in his eyes for she smiled at him softly. "Maybe we need to give each other time, Kurosaki-kun." She began to step away from him, and Ichigo watched the distance between them increase. He clenched his fists to stop himself from reaching forward. So when she turned to walk away, he let her.

:

_Why? Why now?_

Why now when everything had been decided?

Orihime was so convinced that he'd never show interest in her. She was half relieved and half devastated; relieved because he will not get hurt; devastated because who would not want to be loved in return by the person they loved?

Why did he kiss her? Was it possible that he… he—

The idea of Ichigo having feelings for her was completely absurd. She loved him deeply, in a way that was both gentle and fierce. How often did she daydream about him returning her feelings? But now confronted with the possibility of Ichigo having feelings for her, Orihime was not sure on what her reaction would be.

Orihime shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself! One or two kisses did not necessarily mean he had feelings for her.

Sighing tiredly, head throbbing from the barrage of questions and conflicting emotions, Orihime trudged up the stairs to her apartment. She stopped and looked at her apartment door with surprise. The door was broken and slightly off its hinges.

_Was it a burglar? _She narrowed her eyes, her body tense as she prepared to defend herself from a potential thief or murderer.

"Inoue-chan, is everything alright?"

She spun toward the sound of the voice. "Morita-san, you're back!"

"Yes, I am." Morita-san nodded at the propped door. "I saw a boy kicked down your door. He looked quite scary."

Orihime's eyes widened. "A boy…?"

"He's tall and looked really strong. He's not someone a person could easily forget. With that ridiculous hair color and scary face, who could? Do you know someone with orange hair? If not, we should call a police."

Her mouth hung open in surprise. _Did Kurosaki-kun just… _Registering the last words her neighbor had uttered, Orihime flailed an arm. "T-There's no need, Morita-san! H-he's my friend."

Morita-san raised a brow. "Is that so? Now I understand why he looked so worried."

"'Worried'?"

"I saw him asked people in this building if they spotted you. He looked really worried and at the same time, very frightening."

"Oh…" Orihime bit her lip, lowering her lashes.

"Is he a special friend?"

The auburn-haired girl jerked in surprise, cheeks bright red. "Eh? Uh, ano… He's, um…"

Morita-san laughed. "It's okay. I think I get it." Still blushing, Orihime smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"Thank you for telling me, Morita-san. Maybe I should get someone to fix the door or maybe do it myself."

"You could ask the landlord to look for someone to fix it as soon as possible. For the meantime, is there someone you could ask to stay with you for the night?"

"I'll be alright!" chirped Orihime with a grin. "I'm a blackbelt in karate. I can protect myself."

"If you're so sure. Take care of yourself, Inoue-chan."

Orihime thanked her neighbor and turned to smile at the broken door. The sight of her door hanging off its hinges was amusing in its own way despite the inconvenience. She could clearly picture Ichigo's facial expression as he stomped up the stairs and kicked the door. The ensuing images made her giggle.

After changing into baggy sweatpants and hooded shirt, Orihime sat down by the small table with a cup of tea within reach. Her television was tuned into one of her favorite comedies. But her attention was elsewhere. So many things had happened and changed in one day. With a soft sigh, she laid down her head on the table, her cheek against the cool wood.

A shampoo ad replaced the comedy show. Two commercials later, the show came back and Orihime was asleep.

:

With a scowl twisting his features, Ichigo stared down at Orihime's sleeping face. Her door was broken and yet here she was, sleeping peacefully. Her posture looked uncomfortable but apparently she was in a deep, bottomless sleep. On the table was a cup of tea, muddy-looking, half-empty.

He switched off the television and got rid of the tea before taking the sleeping girl in his arms. Her nose scrunched up when he lifted her, her body stiffening but she instantly relaxed in his arms when her face bumped into his chest. She sniffed and to Ichigo's surprise, buried her face in his chest with a sigh.

Her room was lit by shafts of moonlight coming from the window. Shadows played across the walls. After depositing her into her bed, he hovered over her for a while before finding a spot to lean against. Sometime later, Ichigo felt her stir. Bed covers shifted along with her limbs. She must have felt his presence because her movements ceased abruptly. He opened his mouth to tell her who he was but she spoke in a sluggish whisper.

"What… are you doing here?" she asked groggily. "Did something bad happen?" His eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. Could she recognize him without looking at him properly?

"You're not safe here." Ichigo finally spoke. He hoped she understood what he meant. Presently, her formerly sturdy door was not suitable to ward off thieves.

"Don't worry. There's nothing much to steal here…"

"I'm referring to your safety, Inoue." Ichigo plopped down on the floor without a noise, leaning against the wall. "I'll stay."

He saw the outline of her head turned in the direction where he sat. "Y-You don't have to. It's—"

"I know."

"If you're worried because of—"

"Get some rest."

She should know by now how stubborn he was. "Are you going to watch me sleep for the whole night?"

"Why not?"

There was a hint of amusement in her tone. "I'm a very boring sleeper."

"I don't mind."

"You need to sleep too." She paused, hesitating. "You can stay here." She patted the space beside her, "if you want."

A tense silence followed. Ichigo blew out a long breath he did not know he was holding before replying, his calm tone hiding his nerves. "…Alright."

Orihime shifted to give him more room. There were soft shuffling, rustling of cloths and quiet movements of shifting bodies. Then quiet. A space as thick as Ichigo's forearm separated them.

"Inoue."

"Hmm?"

They were both on their backs. Ichigo was still wide awake, staring up the ceiling while next to him Orihime, Ichigo was sure, was halfway to her dreams.

"Don't do that again." She stayed quiet, apparently groggy with exhaustion. Or perhaps she did not understand what he was trying to say. "If you're going to leave, say goodbye to my face."

When she replied, her voice was quieter, sounding as though she was forcing herself to stay awake. "I didn't have much time when they came to get me…"

"But you had time before you left for Hueco Mundo."

Ever so slightly, he felt Orihime stiffen. "What… do you mean?"

Ichigo hesitated at first. "You came to see me, didn't you?"

Orihime did not reply.

"I'm not an expert in sensing other people's reiatsu. But I know… You came to my room that night." She maintained her silence which frustrated Ichigo. But he will not force her. "We'll talk about it tomorrow; you're tired."

When she whispered his name a moment later, Ichigo was surprised; he thought she was already asleep. Ichigo turned his head in her direction. He can make out the outline of her face in the darkness of the room. Like him, she was on her back. "Could not sleep?" It was probably uncomfortable for her to have him next to her.

"Actually… It feels really nice to have someone next to me. I feel… safer. What I want to say is… I'm sorry I made you worry."

Ichigo frowned. "Worrying about someone is not a bad thing, you know. Besides, you had your share of worrying over me."

She giggled softly. "Does it mean we're even?"

"I suppose." She gave a soft, brief laugh. It caused a small smile to turn up the corner of his lips.

"Um… Kurosaki-kun? I must warn you. I-I'm very heavy. I might roll over, crush you, break your spine and—"

"You can crush me anytime you want."

"And I slobber," she whispered. "A lot. So if y-you woke up tomorrow covered in something sticky, I-I'm really sorry…"

Ichigo almost laugh but grinned instead. "Sure, to be covered in Inoue's slobber… that would be a once in a lifetime experience."

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you…"

"Go to sleep, Inoue." He whispered. "I'll watch over you."

"Kurosaki-kun, I…" Ichigo frowned when she paused. It felt as though the words she planned to say had evaporated the moment she decided to say them. The unsaid words floated like mist between them. Then he felt her roll to her side, facing away from him. "Good night, Kurosaki-kun."

:

Ichigo did not know what woke him up.

Perhaps it was because of a dream that transformed into a nightmare. Or was it a niggling feeling of unfamiliarity of his surrounding. Either which, he blinked, frowned and started to shift but he felt his arms were trapped. To be precise, they were wrapped around something soft.

Trying to focus, Ichigo squinted in the dark to assess his surroundings but a fresh and odd scent, like honey, watermelon and fresh laundries mixed together distracted his olfactory sense. It did not smell like his bedroom. Whatever it was, it did not belong to his room—

_Inoue._

He blinked.

Realization hit him with a force of tsunami: he had his arms _around Orihime_. He went rigid, his eyes wide and his mouth suddenly dry. Perhaps he would have flail in panic, yell and roll off the bed in shock, had his arms were free.

…_oh fuck._

Instead, his arms tightened around her and he became aware of the strange quickening of his pulse, of his heartbeat, the sound of his fast, uneven breathing, the difficulty to think and the haze that seemed to fog his brain. Strangest of all was the constricting of his jeans. A warped and watery mocking laughter rang inside his head, which he ignored pointedly.

There was another pressing problem. Not only that he had his arms around her torso, his hips were cradling Orihime's bottom. Realizing the intimacy of their position, he cursed inwardly and squeezed his eyes shut, feeling a rush of heat cover his face. He tried to regulate his breathing and heartbeat but to no avail. Worst, their pace escalated as moments passed.

Pressing his face on the back of her shoulder, Ichigo inhaled, smelled something sweet and fresh, and blew out his breath as silently as he could. He repeated this action for four to five times, hoping to regain a semblance of control over his body, but the sensation of her soft hair against his face made the process difficult. Unfortunately, some things, such as physical reactions, cannot be controlled by sheer power of will alone.

He knew he had to remove his arms around her but a small part of him refused to do so. Not yet anyway. He had never held Orihime like this. There was a time when he carried her to his shoulder but that was different. This was far more intimate. Moreover, holding her in his arms like this made him aware of Orihime's contradicting qualities. She was both fragile and strong. Her bones and skin were delicate but underneath her softness was a steady thrum of fierce, unyielding strength. It made him think of water, flowing ceaselessly, seeping out of the rocks naturally. Calm, peaceful, generous.

The longer he held her, the harder it was for Ichigo to let go. So while he still can, he carefully removed his arms from her body and moved away until the space between them became as thick as his leg. The loss of her warmth irritated him but it must be done. He respected Orihime but she was a girl, a very attractive one, and he was a normal boy. Careful not to wobble the bed, he rolled to his side, facing away from Orihime.

How could she sleep so peacefully as though it was normal to have a boy next to her? Did she not think of him as a _man_? This thought made him scowl hard and brood. But then, Orihime was a trusting person. Perhaps she was unaware of her appeal. Perhaps she did not think he was… Ichigo did not dare finish this thought.

He closed his eyes and attempted to clear his mind. When it did not work, he counted backwards from one hundred.

At fifty-seven, fifty-six, fifty-five, Orihime's arm and leg flung over him. Ichigo barely managed to stop himself from cursing aloud in shock, though his body reacted by stiffening, his eyes wide in the dark.

_Damn… I thought I was going to have a heart attack, _Ichigo thought, frazzled.

He could feel her face pressed between his shoulder blades, her thigh resting over his, her knee on top of his hip. He blew out a shaky breath. He had never expected that being next to Orihime was going to be stressful. It had nothing to do with her presence but his physical reaction to her nearness was very nerve-racking.

At any rate, he needed to divert his attention from the feel of her pressed up against his back. Staring at the silhouette of her hand hanging from her wrist seemed to be a good idea. Moments later, he felt an itch to touch them which he suppressed, curling his fingers, making a fist.

How many times did those hands heal him, restore his reiatsu, save his life? How many times had she seen him covered in blood, red, blue and black, and almost-dead? She was not a fighter but she had dealt with death as much as he had.

_I'm sorry, Inoue._ _We're fucked, aren't we? But you were always there… Without fail, you supported me. _

Orihime was probably happily drooling on his shirt, dreaming about robots with maximum speed of 380km/h, detachable hands and flames shooting out of its mouth, and he, he was having a strange problem that made him curse his jeans and that watery voice inside his head. But at the third round of counting backwards, between seventy one and seventy, he finally fell asleep, dreamless for once.

:

When Orihime woke up the next morning, she had trouble breathing normally. Later she found out she was facedown on her bed. With a huff, she rolled to her back, wrestling with the covers tangled around her legs. Finally freed, she took a deep breath, froze in the middle of inhaling air and sniffed.

_This scent…_ She traced where it was coming from and found a pillow and a vacant space, both of which still bore an indication that someone had laid there. She took another deep breath. This scent, mingling with the smell of her bed, but still strong enough to stand out was familiar to her. Not only it was familiar; she perfectly knew whose scent it was.

Events from last night replayed inside her head with vivid clarity. Eyes wide, Orihime went rigid. She then squished her cheeks hard, her face cycling between horrified disbelief and fascinated amazement.

_K-K-Kurosaki-k-kun… He… He was in my b-bed last night!_

The words rang inside her head like a loud echo, and in her abrupt bout of giddiness, Orihime began to roll like a log over and over again. Unnoticed by her, a figure was standing in the doorway, watching her confusedly.

"Eh?" Familiar reiatsu washed over her. Orihime froze, stopping at the edge of the bed. _Oh no, no, please no—_

"Are you OK, Inoue?"

In her shock, Orihime gasped, red-faced, and hurried to sit up. But since she was an inch away from the edge of the bed, she slipped. She heard Ichigo alarmed shout and his footsteps. But it was too late; she fell.

"Shit! Inoue, you okay?"

Orihime replied by sitting up quickly to show Ichigo that she was unhurt. In her haste, however, she failed to notice that Ichigo was hovering closely and the top of her head slammed hard into Ichigo's chin.

"Ow, son of a b—"

"Oh no! I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo, still clutching his chin, held his other hand. "It's okay." Though, he needed to wait for a few seconds for his surroundings to stop turning. _Damn…_ He stood moments later and strode over the doorway. "Breakfast is ready."

Behind him, Orihime perked up. "Y-You made b-breakfast?" she asked, surprised. He nodded, rotating his jaw.

"Yeah." In spite of the sleeping difficulties he had had last night, Ichigo managed to wake early. He had enough time to go home for a quick shower and change of clothes before returning to Orihime's apartment. He did all of these without questioning his motives, on why he was still here, even cooked her breakfast. Perhaps, he really did not care, so he did not bother. He was here, and it felt right, though it was weird and out of his character to be domestic, prepare breakfast and crave for a certain someone's presence.

Ichigo waited for her come to the table. When he heard her footsteps, he turned his head around to look. Orihime was staring at the small table curiously, fidgeting with the hem of her overlarge shirt. Ichigo gestured to her with his hand.

"Sorry, I raided your cabinets and fridge without permission but I figured that you'd be hungry since you didn't eat dinner last night." Orihime was still unmoved, causing him to quirk his brow. "What's wrong? You don't like omelet and pancakes?" She started and flailed her hands at him in a hurry.

"Oh, I love them! I'm—I'm just surprised." She smiled sheepishly, looking down to stare at her toes peeking from the hem of her baggy sweatpants.

He raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head to the side. "Do I look like someone who can't make an omelet?"

She beamed at him. "I didn't know that Kurosaki-kun could cook."

Ichigo shrugged. "I try sometimes. Come on now. What do you like with your pancakes?"

"Oh! Red bean paste and honey, please!"

Hers were bizarre choices, but Ichigo did not make a comment and located the items she requested before joining her at the table. Thankfully, it was only awkward in the beginning, each stealing glances when the other was not looking. They eventually lapsed into comfortable chit-chat, about school assignments she'd missed, a television show they both liked, a manga title they both had read, consciously avoiding the events that transpired the day before. The kiss, or kisses.

"Do you have any plans for today?" asked Ichigo. The girl looked up from her plate. Ichigo studied her, noticing a strange look that flitted over her face. It disappeared quickly, replaced by a smile.

"I have to go to school."

Her answer caused him to lift a brow questioningly. "It's Sunday," he deadpanned.

She giggled. "I know but I have to speak with Ochi-sensei as soon as possible."

He frowned. "Is there something wrong?" Orihime was quick to reassure him.

"Nothing at all!" she chirped. "I just need to talk to her about something related to school work and… oh, school expenses! It's not important but I think the quicker I addressed those issues the better."

He nodded slowly. "Around what time are you planning to go?"

"Hmm, maybe ten? I hope she's there, though."

"Rukia's at Urahara's shop and she wants to see you this afternoon."

Her face lit up. "I'll be there!"

They both finished their breakfast. As Orihime gathered the plates, Ichigo told her he'll walk her to school and later to Urahara's shop. Anticipating the stuttered protests, he simply shook his head and listen to her voice her concerns.

"It's not an inconvenience, Inoue." He told her when she said she did not want to bother him. "I'll pick you up at ten." He walked to the entryway, followed by Orihime who gasped in surprise at the sight of her mended door. She ran a hand over the new hinges and turned to look at Ichigo for an explanation.

Perhaps to avoid her eyes and hide the dust of pink on his face, Ichigo bent down. With unnecessary interest, he laced up his Chucks very carefully. "I'm not good with a lot of things but I found out that I have at least some sort of talent in fixing doors."

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

He towered over her, looking at anywhere but her. "It was really my fault so it's not a big deal. I should not have lost my temper and kicked your door." She laughed lightly at his sheepish grin.

"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun, I understand. And thanks again for the breakfast! Your omelets tasted really good!" The corners of his mouth tugged upward in a small smile.

Ichigo had finally left, but Orihime remained standing where she was, in the entryway, gazing at the door, at where he disappeared.

Later, she turned around to march back to the kitchen. When she finished the dishes, she stood in the center of small living room. She checked the time; it was only eight. In the quiet room, she watched the hands of time. One, two, three, it was eight-eleven, then twelve and thirteen. She picked up her brother's picture frame, ran her fingers over his face. Later, her friends will realize that it was, perhaps, the only precious thing she collected and brought, disappearing along with it.

At the absence of Sora's picture, the room became a different place, a different time.

:

Ichigo stood by a window, gazing out to the courtyard in front of him.

The campus looked and felt like a different place when it was Sunday. An alien quiet filled the usually rowdy place. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the door where Orihime had disappeared to thirty minutes before.

When he came to get her, he noticed that Orihime looked happier, more relaxed, the same girl he knew before she got taken to Soul Society. He was relieved that everything seemed to return to the way it was before, but he was still convinced that she was hiding something from him. No matter how much he wanted answers, he will give her time and wait for her to come to him when she was ready to talk about it, whatever it was.

Moments later, the door slid open. It was Orihime who stepped out first, followed by Ochi-sensei. "We'll talk about it more once the documents are complete." The teacher was saying.

"Thank you, sensei."

"No problem." Ochi spared Ichigo a sideways glance before reentering her office. Ichigo pushed himself off the wall and walked up to Orihime.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

She answered with a smile, bobbing her head.

"You'd tell me if there's something wrong, right?" She looked at him, her caramel-colored eyes staring up at him earnestly. "If you want to talk about something, I'd listen." A soft, appreciative smile curved her lips.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. I'll remember that."

"Good." He suggested they ate lunch before going to Urahara's shop. This suggestion made Orihime blush profusely, stammer and hide her face behind her long hair. Ichigo brought her to the same ramen stand where he had to endure another string of veiled insults from the ramen owner. After lunch, Orihime entered a donut shop and much to Ichigo's surprise, ordered one of everything.

"I made a promise to myself that I will eat one of every flavor." She explained when she saw Ichigo's look of disbelief. She ate until she was full and brought the rest to Urahara's shop to share it with Rukia and everyone else.

Rukia gave Ichigo a look, which the boy failed to decipher, which in turn forced Rukia to be blunt. "Leave us alone." A vein throbbed above Ichigo's eye but one look from Orihime's smiling face made him cave in without a scathing remark. Grumbling to himself, he left the two girls and found himself in a loud argument with Renji a second later.

"Inoue." Orihime paused from munching on a glazed donut and looked up to the older girl. "I want to know what happened." Orihime lowered her lashes and nibbled on the donut absentmindedly. Rukia watched her friend's face carefully, hoping to catch a clue. Her next words were chosen and said carefully. "I find it difficult to believe that Sou-taichou will easily let you go. What did he tell you to do in exchange for this freedom, Inoue?"

Orihime looked up quickly, caramel-colored eyes wide, filling her face. "Nothing," she replied swiftly. Rukia narrowed her eyes.

"Inoue—"

"I'm not really sure if I'm allowed to say anything, Kuchiki-san."

Orihime fidgeted under Rukia's scrutiny. The older girl gave a sigh. "I won't force you to tell me now but it doesn't mean that I will forget it. Sooner or later, I will find out what it is. Anyway, I'm really glad that you're alright. Ichigo was really worried about you." As she said this, Rukia was watching Orihime's expression even more carefully, her dark eyebrows drawing together when Orihime looked more pensive than pleased. Were her assumptions about Orihime's feelings wrong? But she was one hundred and one percent sure. Love, like a cough, cannot be hidden.

The door slid open and Renji appeared in the doorway to inform Rukia that the Senkaimon was ready. Rukia nodded briskly without looking at the redhead. Renji frowned at Rukia's reaction but shrugged it off. Rukia finished her donut, wiped her fingers clean and stood.

"Do you really have to go now?" asked Orihime.

"I'm sorry, Inoue. I really want to stay longer and spend more time with you but," she smiled apologetically, "duty calls."

Orihime pouted a little but smiled in understanding. "I understand. But I really wish you could stay much longer… I'm going to miss you."

Rukia smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry. I'll try to visit you often. It won't be that hard to ask for permission, considering how thoughtful my captain is. Although…"

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Orihime prompted, watching her friend worriedly.

The older woman shook her head. In truth, Rukia was vying for a promotion. And if things went her way, she'd be a lieutenant, perhaps in six months time or more, and she would not be able to visit her human friends regularly.

"See you soon, Inoue. Be less stupid, Ichigo." Rukia smirked as Ichigo bristled.

"Try to get taller and say that again to my face." Ichigo snapped. Instead of lashing back, Rukia smiled serenely as though she knew something he did not. With one last wave, she stepped into the gate, Renji closely behind her.

Ichigo and Orihime stayed for a while until Orihime spoke about visiting Tatsuki. Again, her protests were ignored by Ichigo as he insisted on walking her to Tatsuki's house. When they got there, at the sight of her best friend, Tatsuki flung herself forward and engulfed Orihime in a bear hug, causing the auburn-haired girl to laugh and wobble.

"Once again, I made you worry about me, Tatsuki-chan." Orihime began softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh hush, you. I knew you'll be back. I knew Ichigo _will _bring you back." Glancing at Ichigo, Tatsuki narrowed her eyes. "Why are you still here?" she demanded, though in her eyes, Ichigo could see her gratitude, _thanks, idiot._

"What," he grunted, scowling.

"I'll walk Orihime home myself."

Ichigo opened his mouth but decided not to risk it and give Tatsuki a chance to clobber him. "Fine," he growled grudgingly before turning to Orihime. "I'll see you tomorrow." The girl smiled brightly, thanking him. Ichigo accepted her gratitude with a small smile before turning away, hands inside his front pockets. The two girls watched the boy walk off and while he did, Tatsuki snuck a glance from her best friend.

"So," Tatsuki's voice snapped Orihime out of her reverie. Tatsuki was smirking knowingly. "Care to update me?" Orihime blinked innocently.

Tatsuki, however, was undeterred and took Orihime's arm to lead her inside the house as she elaborated. "What happened between the two of you?"

"Between Kurosaki-kun and… I?" Orihime stammered, blushing. Tatsuki grinned widely, mischievous.

Orihime looked down at her lap, twisting her skirt in her hands, suddenly conscious of the longing in her part to keep the secret to herself, for now, for a while. Perhaps one day, someday, she would tell her best friend the short story of that special afternoon. Perhaps in a phone call or in a letter. Someday, one day.

Still standing, Tatsuki studied her best friend, the way Orihime lower her lashes to hide her eyes, her feelings, and Tatsuki knew something _did _happen. Orihime must have felt it was not the proper time to tell her. That perhaps she needed more time to process it herself.

"If you're not ready to tell me yet, it's fine." Orihime peered up at her through her thick lashes, smiling gratefully, shyly. "But to be honest, I don't really need a confirmation from you. It showed in your and Ichigo's actions. I know I'm probably getting ahead of myself, making wild assumption, but my gut instincts have never failed me."

Tatsuki carefully gauged Orihime's reaction. She, Orihime, had a face that was too open, revealing her heart in her eyes, in her smiles. Her actions, even her posture, betrayed and revealed her. And thus, lying and pretending were impossible tasks.

"He was really worried about you. And I think he has feelings for you." This time, a strange look on Orihime's face appeared. "Hey, that was weird. I expected you to blush and stammer but to be terrified? Does it terrify you that Ichigo probably likes you?"

Orihime opened her mouth but no words came. In her eyes, however, there were feelings that words cannot convey. Orihime then grinned toothily, the lines around her eyes and mouth tense.

"You must be really hungry, Tatsuki-chan! Look, I brought donuts! Sit beside me and tell me about your day."

Tatsuki opened her mouth to protest. "Have you broken someone else's leg, traumatized a teammate, knocked out someone?" Orihime interrupted cheerfully. "Oh, Tatsuki-chan, you must be really careful! What if you got hurt while you disarm your opponent? What if you got injured from practicing many karate moves? You're overworking yourself!"

Rarely Tatsuki admits defeat, but now, she let Orihime sort her feelings into sentences and phrases, and wait for her friend to share them with her, in her own time, when she was ready. Orihime could not be blamed, to be fair. She had loved the boy dearly, giving everything freely. Embedded in her soul was the conviction that they, she and Ichigo, will always be two friends, bonded by strong faith to each other, to their friendship. As a result of that certainty, some form of skepticism was likely to crop up.

If Orihime was not yet ready to talk about whatever it was that plagued her mind, Tatsuki would be patient. So she sat beside Orihime and spent the reminder of the afternoon listening to her best friend's voice, the sound of her laughter, her stories.

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to want more, I start**  
summary. **_Why? Why now?_**  
note. **this line 'Love, like a cough, cannot be hidden', the original text was _"Love and a cough cannot be hid" _from George Herbert, English poet and clergyman.

again, thank you to everyone who reviewed (and put this story on their favorites and alerts!) thank you so much! (*v*) this is something random, but did you know this fic is TWO YEARS OLD? ahaha! it's about time for this story to reach its conclusion! :D i have reviewed this chapter but i am sure there are errors so if you saw one, do tell! :) i hope you enjoyed/liked this installment :D (also, omgggg Ichigo's bankai, that cool, jagged, sexy sword, and glimpses of his chest and- ok, i need to stop making perverted remarks XDD)

ok, next chapter, there would be:  
**1 **The End, maybe? D:  
**2** a little something that will, perhaps, cement their fate :D  
**3** a line from a book about ghosts  
**4 **a cellphone and a phone booth


	23. to heart 2

Ichigo watched Orihime descend the stairs.

The muscles behind his neck and shoulders started to tense as she approached the last step. It was funny how he'd face hollows, Arrancars and a megalomaniac shinigami without so much as a quiver, but the idea of asking a girl to walk her to school could make him tingly all over and get his hands sweaty.

On the stairs, Orihime paused and lifted her head, looking around with a small frown until her gaze fell upon him. Ichigo pushed himself off the wall and stood straight, wearing his cool, tough façade to conceal his growing anxiety. Orihime was giving him a befuddled look, which quickly turned into a worried one.

Ichigo tried to smile; apparently, it did not come out right because Orihime had hurried over him, a look of panic written all over her face.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" Her eyes roved over his lean body.

"Hey. Don't worry, I'm fine." He assured her.

Orihime gave a big sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I'm so glad! I-I guess I overreacted because of my silly intuition!" She laughed to herself. "But Kurosaki-kun, what are you doing here?"

Ichigo debated whether to continue with his initial plan or make an excuse as to why he was here.

"Kurosaki-kun, is something matter?" Her sweet, worried voice jarred Ichigo out of his musings.

"Uh, nothing." Orihime did not look convinced. The worry on her face got more pronounced. Deciding to move forward, Ichigo cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually…"

Her expression switched to a curious look, her wide caramel eyes staring up at him attentively.

"Er, do you mind if I walk with you?" he said very quickly as though saying them quickly will make it less embarrassing.

Her eyes widened, looking at him as if he grew another head, perhaps two more. It took awhile for his words to sink in. When they did, a bright blush colored her cheeks, spreading down her neck, maybe lower.

"If you like, that is." Ichigo added hastily, wanting to duck and hide his face, which he knew had turned scarlet, matching the color of his hair.

Orihime opened her mouth but said nothing, gazing at him. Her prolonged silence was unnerving him. Lifting a hand to the back of his neck, Ichigo tugged at the tense muscles there. From behind the cage of red-orange bangs, he glanced at her furtively; she still looked completely baffled and looking a little bit like she was going to faint.

Before he could stop himself, his body acted on its own accord; his hand moved and captured hers. Orihime startled, wide eyes darting down to gawk at his much larger hand holding hers.

"I know I'm freaking you out," he said quietly, his calm tone of voice hiding the feelings of insecurity that cropped up hard. Feeling immensely nervous and uncertain, Ichigo fell silent.

His grip tightened, as if he or his hand were afraid of letting go, of her slipping away. He tried again. "I'm being weird and creepy but I—" His monologue, however, was cut short when she took her hand from his grip and held his instead.

Surprised, Ichigo looked down; she was not looking at him, but at his chest, her lowered lashes obscuring her eyes. They seemed to have moved closer to each other because he could distinctly smell the fragrance of her hair and observe the length of her thick lashes.

As though spellbound, Ichigo gazed at her openly, ignoring everything else, like how quiet it was; this strange silence that enveloped them as if they were clutching time in their hands; the warmth of March sun; the birds perched on the telephone lines, darting to and fro or a stray cat lazily watching them from the distance.

He watched her lips form words.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

Orihime lifted her eyes, and they looked at each other for what felt like the longest time. Right then and there, Ichigo knew if he spoke now, what he'd say might start or end something.

A soft breeze swept over them, lifting long strands of auburn hair between their faces. His heart started racing out of control when her face inched closer, pink lips parting as if she were going to kiss him. Ichigo lowered his face but the sense of anticipation that overcame him was brought to an abrupt stop when she seemed to change her mind at the last minute and in a soft voice, she said while blushing fiercely, "We're going to be late."

Ichigo blinked at her, looking disconcerted. He hoped his face was not betraying his thoughts and feelings.

Blushing, Orihime smiled at him shyly and Ichigo forced his facial muscles to rearrange themselves in a casual expression. She finally released his hand, and walked past him, wind blowing at her hair, several locks, those that were long enough, brushing his shoulder.

After shaking himself out of his daze, he quietly followed the auburn-haired girl, staying two steps behind her. Later she slowed down until they were shoulder to shoulder, their arms brushing against each other every now and then. Absent-mindedly, he listened to her talk, focusing on how she enunciated each word, a futile attempt to keep his mind off things.

Things such as liking someone, loving someone, wanting someone more than anything in this world and how different they were from having someone liking him, loving him, wanting him.

They reached the school grounds, changed footwear and went up to their classroom. Upon entering their classroom, a dozen pairs of eyes focused on them which went unnoticed by two.

Later, when Ichigo offered to walk her home, their friends were confounded (none of them dared to ask about this development; they, however, had to restrain Keigo and stuffed his mouth with something, one time, with Tatsuki's fist, lest they incur Ichigo's fury). There had been a lot of pointing and whispering from people who saw Ichigo and Orihime speaking just outside the school building. However, the two did not seem to care if rumors spread or if their friends started to tease them.

The following day, they were seen arriving to school together. A rumor spread but neither cared. Or maybe the two had not heard about it. The same day, they left school, walking next to each other, both deeply involved in a conversation to notice bewildered stares. Soon, gossip died down and seeing them together became ordinary.

For a week, they walked to school together. He walked her home, they studied together. She talked about anything, ranging from something profound to weird and silly things and he listened.

"Are you sure they're not expired?" asked Ichigo, frowning at the basket of 'free' breads Orihime got from the bakery she frequent. It was Wednesday.

"Un! They're delicious! Try one!"

He still looked dubious, glanced up at Orihime's beaming face, reached over and picked one.

"You won't regret it!"

Thursday.

"Substitute this variable with this." She was saying. Their eyes met; her lashes then lowered demurely before lifting again.

She smiled.

No one spoke about it. Neither had planned it. It happened, it became a routine and _it_ was their something. They refused to name it, let alone ask the other: _"What are we?" _

:

The sixth day was Saturday.

As soon as the last class was dismissed, as though they were drawn like two magnets, they found each other in the throng of students crowding the busy hallway.

Tatsuki, who had noticed their 'routine', took the initiative to give them privacy. Her two best friends never made her feel left out, but she felt she was intruding into something. And so it was she who chose to give them space.

Seeing Ichigo becoming friendlier toward Orihime came as a bit of a surprise at first. Ichigo and Orihime were good friends. That was certain. But this new closeness between them was entirely something else. Tatsuki was pleased nonetheless. She knew how much her friend liked Ichigo, but Tatsuki was still concerned over Orihime's alarmed reaction when she pointed out that Ichigo might have feelings for her.

_Nah, maybe I read her face wrong. _Tatsuki had thought as she observed the two redheads interact for the past few days. So far, she did not notice anything weird in the way Orihime acted around Ichigo.

"See you tomorrow, Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime waved energetically. Tatsuki gave a simple flick of her wrist, amused because it still amazed her how hard Orihime could blush, even though it had been a week since Ichigo had started to spend more time with her.

Orihime soon found Ichigo, or perhaps it was Ichigo who found her. Either way, without needing to say a word to each other, they made their way down the hallway.

"Inoue," said Ochi-sensei who passed by. "I need to talk to you."

Orihime smiled up at Ichigo who nodded wordlessly and placed himself against a wall, several feet away from where Orihime and Ochi-sensei conferred. He watched Orihime accept an envelope from their teacher. The older woman gave him a glance that intrigued Ichigo. Then she said something to Orihime.

"What was that about?" asked Ichigo when the impromptu tête-à-tête concluded.

Orihime put the envelope in her schoolbag. "Nothing important," she chirped cheerfully. "She helped me with important paperwork. That's all."

Ichigo decided not to pry. He had interrogated her enough. Besides, he had told her she could talk to him about anything anytime and she had smiled at him. He interpreted that smile as a 'yes' and that was enough for him. For now, at least.

They resumed their walk home and soon reached her apartment building. Side by side, they trudged up the stairs. Their hands brushed every now and then. Neither pulled away nor tried to prolong the contact.

She opened the door and stepped in first. Ichigo followed and stepped near her until they were standing closely to each other. Close enough to feel each other breathe. Ichigo was watching her face, his eyes lidded, looking for a sign of discomfort. Orihime had looked startled at first, eyes wide and blushing slightly, but she did not move away.

The door was still opened behind him. Orihime had not flicked the light switch yet and the only light in the entryway was coming from the streetlights outside, producing more shadows than light.

Finally, Ichigo moved to close the door. Orihime was able to breathe again and move, reaching sideways for the light switch to flick it on.

When Ichigo turned around, the light in the entryway was on and Orihime had left.

"Make yourself at home, Kurosaki-kun," she called out from the kitchen. "You can turn on the television if you want."

He did but nothing seem to capture his interest so he shut it off and joined Orihime in the kitchen. She was watching the kettle while waiting for the water to boil, a serene expression on her face, but he noticed her biting her lower lip hard. When she let it go, it was red and almost swollen. A thin sheen of wetness had coated the abused flesh. Something stirred in his stomach. He tore his gaze away from her mouth, cursing himself inwardly when he realized he was staring.

"Something in your mind?" asked Ichigo, an attempt to fill the silence.

Orihime gave a start and turned toward him. He gave her a small smile and she turned very red. Leaning on his side against a wall, he inclined his head to the side and looked at her from underneath his lowered lashes, waiting for her reply.

"I-It's nothing," she stammered, her voice coming out husky. The flush on her face turned brighter and Orihime shifted so that a thick curtain of hair covered her red face. She moved closer to the counter, further away from Ichigo and his gaze. But she could still feel his stare on her. It was impossible to escape him, his gaze and his powerful presence. And she did not want to.

There was something about the silence between them that was both frightening and alluring. As if silence itself were made of fine china, balancing on a thin rope. Several what-ifs hid beneath this silence. Both of them were struggling in their own way, both afraid to take chances. As much as they try to appear as if nothing had changed, they both knew that something did.

"Are you hungry?" asked Orihime, breaking the silence.

Ichigo was glad; he did not think he could endure another minute of _that _silence. It was, in a word, weird. Just standing here, watching her and doing nothing and yet he found himself not minding the stillness.

"Don't worry." This time Orihime looked at him over her shoulder, grinning. "I can make normal sandwiches." He had found out during the last few days he had spent with her that her food preferences were not common.

He shook his head. "Tea's fine, thank you."

The kettle let out a shrill whistle. Orihime turned off the stove and took two cups from an overhead cupboard. Carefully, she made two cups of tea. She was adding extra honey on hers when Ichigo came to stand next to her. Both felt a stir in the air between them but neither made a comment. They drank tea while standing in front of the sink.

When Orihime glanced at a wall clock, she gasped, looking alarmed all of a sudden. Ichigo was instantly on alert.

"What's wrong?"

"Laugh Hour," she answered reverently in a way a person spoke about a beloved, long departed person.

Having known her fascination with the TV program for quite some time, Ichigo simply finished his tea while Orihime zoomed out of the kitchen. He later stood in the doorway to observe Orihime. When the program finally ended, it left the redheaded girl wheezing on the floor because of laughing too much.

"Sorry, I got carried away." She grinned sheepishly.

"I don't mind," Ichigo answered with a shrug.

Orihime got up and switched the TV off. Silence fell instantly. She remained standing near the TV set, unable to make up her mind whether to approach him or stay where she was. Her fingers fidgeted with her uniform skirt. She took a deep breath before raising her gaze from the floor, their eyes meeting with a strange impact. She gave him a smile, which something she did to hide how tense she was under his intense stare.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Orihime softly.

Ichigo's eyelids dipped lower.

Orihime joined him in the doorway but kept a safe distance between them. Ichigo twisted his body to properly face her, towering over her easily.

"I'm thinking…" he stopped, hesitating, averting his gaze. He looked at her again. Orihime smiled and he stopped hesitating. "I'm thinking about you."

Her eyes widened, looking as though she could not understand why he would ever think about her. Then a small shy smile tugged at her lips.

"Why are you thinking about me?" she asked, her voice soft, dreamy.

"I don't know." He replied honestly. And it was true, he really did not have any idea, but he was truly thinking about her. He just did not know what exactly about her.

For what felt like a longest time, they stared at each other, cradled by a silence so serene it almost felt like time had gone still for them and only for them.

For days, Ichigo struggled to grasp his true feelings, transforming them into a simpler construct so that he could understand them better. However, even if he managed to figure them out, he could not tell her now. For now, actions will suffice – hopefully.

His hand rose to touch her face. A look of wonder filled her face. His thumb traced her cheekbone, the other hand lifting to her hair. Her brown eyes open wider, her face open, full with uncertainties and hidden knowledge. Studying her face intently, Ichigo looked for an answer, waited for a sign.

An enormous need to feel him closer washed over Orihime. He seemed to be looking for something, waiting for something. She raised a hand. It was trembling a little, unsure. She then placed her palm on his chest, directly over his heart. The light behind his brown eyes appeared to burn brighter at her touch.

Ichigo was almost certain that Orihime could feel his racing heartbeat. How could she not when it was beating so hard like a drum in his ears? She wore a fascinated albeit nervous look on her face. Lowering his face toward her, he waited for her to pull away but she did not. He leaned in, eyes falling shut and pressed his lips to hers. His grip on her tightened involuntarily because his world began turning over and over again despite the fact that this was not their first kiss.

With his other hand, he grasped the back of her head. He felt her hands cling to his back, curling into small fists as he pushed her up against the wall behind her. Sometime later, he felt her respond which felt incredibly good, as good as chocolate melting in his tongue. He kept his hands on her hair and face. Because if he placed them on her body, he did not trust his hands would stay in place; they will roam all over and the last thing he wanted was to frighten her.

There was a tug at his hair and nails scraped his scalp. They encouraged him to press closer and when he did, her thin arms held him even tighter. A small hand trailed down his spine and a shudder raced through him at her innocent touch.

A strong emotion flooded through him and it struck him with suddenness, causing him to kiss her a little harder. If he felt less for her, perhaps he'd be gentle, but what he felt for her had the ferocity of a tempest. It was a living thing, growing, changing shape, and can walk on its own.

She was shuddering and breathing hard when Ichigo finally lifted his head. Her eyes met his and after a long moment, Orihime pulled him down to her level to press a kiss on his cheek. They held each other afterwards, her face on his neck. For how long, they did not notice. Time, it seemed had stopped for a while, letting them savor the moment.

"You're going to be late for dinner," Orihime murmured against his collar.

He grunted to indicate he had heard her but he kept holding her. Orihime made a move to pull away but he did not let her. It felt like pushing a thick wall, Orihime thought with a small smile. Later, he finally let her go. Orihime turned and walked down the hallway.

While he wore his shoes, Orihime opened the door for him. Ichigo straightened up to his full height and looked down at her. He seemed to think for a moment before he spoke. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

A strange look flitted over her face. "I… I'll be busy," she answered softly.

His frown deepened thoughtfully. He backed away and stepped outside after saying good bye to her. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Be safe," Orihime called out to his retreating back. In response, he gave a small wave.

:

Ichigo tapped his fingers on his desk in the beat of the music he was listening to. A pair of headphones was attached to his ears. Uninterested, he idly turned to the next page of the manga he was reading.

The door to his room swung open to reveal Karin. "Oi, Ichi-nii!" Her call went unnoticed, most of all, unheard by Ichigo who was scowling at the page, forcing himself to concentrate on the speech bubbles.

Irritated, the young girl stomped in and unceremoniously yanked one of the pads off his ear. "Oi!" The effect was instantaneous. Ichigo jumped in his seat, wide-eyed as he looked at his sister. "Would you turn the volume down?" Karin demanded.

Ichigo pulled the headphones around his neck. "What is it?"

His sister rolled her eyes and jerked a thumb toward his window before leaving the room. Bewildered, Ichigo turned toward that direction just in time to hear a familiar voice coming from outside.

"Kurosaki-kuuuuun! I said, Kurosaki-kuuuun!"

"Inoue…" He threw the accessory to his desk and went to his window. Sure enough, Orihime was waving an arm and beaming a huge smile from the street below. He slid his window open and stuck his head out.

"Kurosaki-kun," she called out, her smile getting bigger. "I have doughnuts for you!" With both hands, she held up a box.

"Stay where you are."

In a minute, he was out in the street, wondering what Orihime was doing outside his house.

"How long have you been standing here?"

"I didn't notice," she answered with a shrug. "I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"I wasn't doing anything important. Do you want to come in?"

For some reason, this invitation made her blush as she shook her head. "I-I just came to give you this. I had plenty of extras and I thought maybe you'd like some."

"Thanks, Inoue."

"You're welcome! There are a couple of chocolate-flavored for you. You like chocolate, right?"

"I do. Thanks."

She grinned. She seemed to remember something then, her grin vanishing and she dropped her gaze, fiddling with her fingers. "Kurosaki-kun…" She looked as though she was debating with herself, looking flustered. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she asked, "Are you busy?"

"No," he replied simply.

She smiled. "Let's take a walk, please."

He felt a weird but warm feeling cropping up inside him but he managed to reply a clear "Sure" and told her he'll need a minute to take the doughnuts inside and tell his sisters he'd be out of the house for a while.

When he returned outside, Orihime was standing on the other side of the street, watching the birds perched on telephone lines. He called out her name and she turned, her long hair following the movement of her head. With another smile and slight blush, she held out her hand. Ichigo's default frown softened slightly, and a small smile tugged at his lips as he took her small hand.

"Kurosaki-kun has such a strong hand." She declared as they walked, examining his hand earnestly.

Her candid observation amused him. "And yours is really small."

She wrinkled her nose. "And not as strong as yours." Then she removed her hand from his grip, tucking it behind her. Ichigo blinked at her in confusion.

"I'm ruining Kurosaki-kun's reputation." She teased.

"Hey." He scowled, raising an eyebrow at her and holding out his hand to her. Orihime laughed and stood close to him but not touching him.

Ichigo did not ask her where they're headed, simply following her, their arms brushing every now and then. They got into a small bridge, walked a few steps before Orihime paused and turned toward the west where the sun was setting.

"This," she said, grinning, "is the perfect spot to watch the beautiful sunset."

For a long while, they stood in comfortable silence.

"I wanted to see you today." Orihime admitted softly after a long moment of contemplation. Ichigo glanced over at her. She was watching the sky, her cheeks pink. "So I did. I'm sorry for imposing on you."

"Don't say that. You weren't imposing or anything. I'm glad you came." Orihime turned her head to look at him. "I wanted to see you too."

She gave him a huge smile, blushing. "But you rejected me last night. You were very cruel." Ichigo added, only half-teasing. Orihime giggled behind her hand.

"I visited Sado-kun in his apartment but he isn't there. I wonder what he does every Sunday. Maybe he's got a job or playing his guitar somewhere? I left him a box of doughnuts too. I hope he likes caramel, blueberry-filling, peanut butter and custard."

"Chad's not picky so don't worry about it."

Sunset was upon them a moment later and they watched it silently. Orange colors streaked and scattered above them.

"What a beautiful color. But there's something sad about sunsets, isn't there?" she said softly.

"In a sense," replied Ichigo. "But every ending has a new beginning."

Orihime beamed at him, looking impressed. "That's right! The sun sets to rise tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day!"

He gave her a crooked smile, amused at her thinking. "It sure is."

She turned to watch the sunset again, looking a bit sad and pained. His overdeveloped protective instincts spiked.

"What's wrong?" He moved closer to her, frowning.

She startled. "H-Huh?"

Ichigo's frown deepened. "You look… sad."

Orihime stared at him wordlessly. "It's… It's nothing!" She flashed him with a big smile. "I guess I'm getting a little emotional because of this beautiful sunset. Ne, Kurosaki-kun, do you think the sunset in other places is as beautiful as our sunset here?"

"I suppose. We are under the same sky after all."

She nodded, smiling. "Thank you. Oh! Kurosaki-kun, it's time to walk you home!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it the other way around?"

Orihime shrugged. "It was I who asked you out." Ichigo blushed at this, stuttering. "So it's only proper that I walk you home."

"You got it wrong, you know," Ichigo sighed.

"Got what wrong? It was I who asked you to walk with me. So worry not, Kurosaki-kun! I will deliver you home, safe and sound."

Ichigo shook his head. "Come on. _I _will take you home. And that's final." Orihime pouted cutely but let him steer her toward the direction of her home.

Night soon fell and streetlamps flickered on. From the distance, lights from buildings and nearby amusement park could be seen. They passed several shops, cafes, bakeries and empty lots until her apartment building came into view.

"I'll come and pick you up tomorrow." Ichigo told her when they reached her door.

"Oh, you don't have to." He frowned down at her. "I'd like to walk to school with Tatsuki-chan tomorrow and talk to her about… girl things." Orihime explained, grinning a bit at his dumbfounded look.

"Girl things," he deadpanned. Orihime smiled wider. "…Okay. I'll see you tomorrow at class then."

"Okay," she whispered, her smile fading as she stared up at him with a penetrating but unreadable look on her face. Ichigo felt like she was reading him like an open book. It made him nervous, naked of everything. He wondered what thoughts were running through her mind right now.

After muttering a hushed 'good night', Ichigo turned to leave but a tug at his sleeve stopped his progress and forced him to face her again.

Ichigo had never expected Orihime to initiate a kiss, incredibly shy she was. It was he who had made the first move in their past kisses. So when she took his face between her hands and pulled him down to her level to kiss him, he was completely flabbergasted.

Before long, his astonishment faded and he took control of the kiss, holding her against his chest. In a short time, he felt dizzy, strangely drunk but sharply aware of her natural scent, of the small hands on his chest, of her softness. A hint of worry entered his mind: was his strength hurting her? Was he being too forceful? But his worries vanished when he felt her clutch him tighter and respond to his kisses with more passion and urgency. She was still endearingly shy and clumsy in her inexperience but the passion in her kisses made up for it. He held her tighter as though she were a ghost, needing to substantiate her presence, or a little bird about to take flight. Where did all these feelings of trepidation coming from?

Still entwined, their lips parted slightly. He gently held the side of her face, pressing his forehead against hers. Wrapping an arm around his neck, Orihime pushed herself up and put her face against his neck, her lips brushing his heated skin.

Ichigo bent his head, whispering in her ear, "What's wrong?" She did not reply, only held him tighter. He thought he heard her sniffle.

"Inoue?" He cupped the back of her head, pulling back to peek into her face but she hid her face into his neck. "I know there's something wrong. What is it? Tell me. I don't know what I'll do but I'll do something, _anything_. Just tell me what it is."

He felt her heave a deep sigh. Her hands fell away from their perch, trailing over his back before falling to her sides. Her head lifted; she was smiling a little, cheeks pink. Ichigo held her face.

Big hazel eyes blinked. Orihime opened her mouth but no words came out. One of her hands rose and encircled his wrist. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me…" She smiled shyly, lashes lowering half-mast.

He did not say anything, only stared at her. Orihime seemed to want to say something, but she did not. Ichigo waited for a few seconds, but the redheaded girl did not say another word.

Ichigo sighed. "When you're ready, tell me. I'm not sure I'll be helpful right away but I'll definitely find a solution to whatever it is that bothers you." He released her face and stepped back.

"Thank you," she said.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

She looked as if searching for something to say. Then she smiled, still holding his wrist and said, "Goodbye, Kurosaki-kun."

Overhead, the moon was full with no clouds in sight.

Ichigo frowned, slightly perturbed by her choice of word. He ignored it and smiled lopsidedly. "It's _good night_, Inoue," he corrected.

She said nothing, and smiled a vague smile.

Ichigo turned to leave, Orihime still holding his wrist. Their arms stretched until he had to look over to her. He knew she was attractive, though he never acknowledged this concept, like the way a person never questioned the blue color of the sky. But he was suddenly and sharply aware of her beauty, the depth of her eyes, the strength of her grip, the small smile curving her lips. All of these, he absorbed like a sponge. As he did, he was struck by his truth, crushed by the weight of his feelings.

He was so certain of his feelings now, so certain that he could say them now, even though he was not sure of her feelings. He swallowed with difficulty. A strong emotion was surging through his body. He felt it spread all the way to the center of his chest, accumulating there.

She dropped his hand, jerking him back to reality. He looked at her and found her staring at him. She smiled, spun around and entered her apartment. Ichigo stood there, gazing at her door with a deep frown, feeling the weight of his feelings, trembling under his skin.

Closing his eyes, he composed himself and started on his way home when he finally calmed down.

Inside the apartment, Orihime sat among the boxes, packed up but yet to be sealed. She was watching the clock, eyes half-lidded.

_I'm thinking about you._

_Why are you thinking about me?_

_I don't know._

She pressed a hand on top of her heart.

_You'd tell me if there's something wrong, right?_

_He was really worried about you. And I think he has feelings for you._

Her throat tightened.

_If you're going to leave, say goodbye to my face._

She closed her eyes, hugging herself.

:

Tatsuki was already there when Ichigo arrived the next day. He was surprised to find that Orihime was not attached to her Tatsuki's side as she chatted with her friends. He looked around for the familiar auburn hair but did not find Orihime. When Tatsuki turned toward him, Ichigo gave her a questioning look.

"Where's Orihime?" she asked when she came over to him.

Ichigo's frown deepened. "She told me last night she'll walk with you today."

Tatsuki looked surprised. "Did she? But we talked last night on the phone and she didn't mention about walking with me," she responded.

When Ichigo opened his mouth to say more, their homeroom teacher appeared. They were forced to part ways, nodding at each other. The roll call began with Ichigo paying more attention to the door, waiting for the auburn-haired girl to burst into the room.

A hand shot up.

"Yes, Arisawa?"

"You didn't call Orihime's name," Tatsuki said.

Ichigo straightened in his seat.

Ochi-sensei raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I didn't."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Tatsuki.

Their homeroom teacher gave a somewhat sympathetic look. "Inoue Orihime is no longer a student of Karakura High School."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to heart 2**  
summary. **"I'm thinking about you."**  
note. **thanks so much for reading! 8D


	24. to all my dreams, the answer

Across town, standing inside a phone booth, Orihime lifted the receiver and pressed it to her ear.

Listening to the dial tone, she peered outside through the glass, squinting into the sky. Cumulus cloudscape hung in the sky. Above Karakura, an airplane crept by.

There is no time limit. There will be time, there will be time.

_For us._

:

Tatsuki was on her feet in an instant.

Sensing an angry outburst, Ochi-sensei held out a hand. "We'll talk about this later." Tatsuki hesitantly sat down, fists curling. Her intense reaction did not come out as a surprise to those who knew the dark-haired girl. Tatsuki always worried about Orihime; her best friend was peculiar, led a peculiar lifestyle, and possessed peculiar common sense. She was also clumsy and it frequently got her into trouble but Tatsuki had learned to deal with it.

This time, however, Tatsuki was downright alarmed. What could have happened? Something big she was sure.

Waiting for the first morning break was a torture. What did she mean by Orihime being no longer a student of Karakura High School? Different thoughts cycled through Ichigo's mind, none of which made sense. He thought hard, clutching the edge of his desk with a crushing grip. Nothing concrete came into mind. What was going on? _Where are you? _He stared outside the window, eyebrows furrowed deeply. In the distance, an airplane cut across the clouds.

Thirty minutes later, Ichigo, Tatsuki, Sado and Uryuu gathered outside in the hallway, facing Ochi-sensei.

"Is it because of her financial background?" demanded Tatsuki, her fists shaking at her sides. Her gut told her this was different from what had happened months ago, and it gave her hope that Orihime was here, in_ this_ world.

"No. She completed her requirements, took her records and left."

Their eyes widened.

"But why?" insisted Tatsuki, confused. "She never said a word to me!"

"Obviously," said the teacher with a sigh. A wounded look passed over Tatsuki's face. "But what I said is true. Inoue is not going to continue her secondary education here. She didn't mention where she planned to transfer but she explained that something important came up and she needed to be somewhere as soon as possible. Seeing there's nothing wrong with her appeal to take the finals a week earlier than scheduled, the school board granted her request and she passed all of them. Excellently, if I may add."

"This is not making any sense." Ichigo finally spoke in a low voice after his long stony silence.

They glanced over at him; he was staring right ahead, eyebrows furrowed above narrowed amber eyes. He looked upset, trying to conceal his distress by scowling. And when he seemed unable to bear it anymore, he turned and took off.

In minutes, Ichigo was out in the courtyard, turned and bolted down a street. He felt the road closing in on him. He was breathless, not because of running. When did Karakura become so stifling? He felt an invisible force push him backward, preventing him from reaching his destination.

Then an image of a smiling face floated inside his head. A kiss, honey-colored eyes reflecting the sunset, her delicate hand on top of his. Her lips curling in a sweet smile. Was it a memory, a hallucination?

_Kurosaki-kun._

He ran faster.

Orihime's apartment building came into view. Ichigo took the stairs, two at a time, found her door and banged his fist against the wood. The hinges creaked under the blows.

"Inoue!" he shouted.

There was no answer. He knocked again, three times, four times, five times. No answer came. He tried the knob. It was locked. He rattled it until it gave away. Ichigo then shoved the door open; it hit the wall with a loud crash.

Inside was a strange silence. A quick inspection told him that the apartment was empty. Her brother's picture was gone from its usual place. The stuff toys on the shelf, on the other hand, were still there. Books, comics, and magazines were piled neatly. The colorful fridge magnets, pictures, stickers, and reminders on the small fridge were set in a straight row. Garbage bags, thrown away. Everything was clean and orderly. Gone was the lively chaos. He was trapped somewhere else, an alternate universe, a different time. Where are you, where are you, where are you.

Tatsuki, Ishida and Sado turned up. Tatsuki started to search the place frantically for her redheaded best friend. Ishida knew it was futile, but did not stop her. Instead, he focused on their orange-haired friend.

Ichigo was staring at the spot where he kissed her, where he held her. The emptiness was gnawing at his insides. Pulling, twisting. He felt weak, but this kind of powerlessness was not a mere absence of physical and spiritual prowess. Squinting into the emptiness, he was desperate to find a trace of her: the scent of tea, wasabi, sweet potatoes; the sound of clinking china or opened faucet behind the bathroom door; messy pile of manga and books or scattered color pencils, clips and highlighters.

For a moment, he thought he saw her, watching her favorite show. She was laughing, her hair falling down her back to the floor. Smiling, she then got up and approached him until they were face to face. He felt a soft touch on his shoulder, leaving a mark on his skin, in his soul.

Then she vanished, and all he saw and felt was the emptiness she left behind. With bitterness, he realized people can fall in love with ghosts, with emptiness created by an absence of a person.

A ringer ripped in the air, startling them.

It took a few seconds for Tatsuki to realize that it was her phone's ringing tone. With a shaking hand, she took it from her pocket and checked the caller ID. The number flashing on the screen was unfamiliar.

"Hello," said Tatsuki in a hollow tone. A pause, then:

"Orihime!"

Heads turned toward a frantic Tatsuki. "Where are you? Are you okay? What happened? We're so worried—" She frowned. "What? What do you mean you can't tell me?" Her voice sounded wounded. "What are you talking about? What! No. _No. _Where are you? Orihime—" She paused to listen, eyebrows furrowing, then she scrunched her face up, looking indecisive, and glanced over at Ichigo, who looked ready to combust on the spot or break something. His eyes were alive with something fierce and painful.

She sighed, "Okay." Tatsuki held the phone out to Ichigo. Without a word, Ichigo took it and marched down the hallway, entered her room and sat down on her bed. In here, there were traces of her presence. He could smell her scent. It was not good enough, though.

"Inoue." He could not recognize his own voice.

"Kurosaki-kun."

Something in his body lurched. Involuntarily, his hand shot up to clutch at his chest, as though he was about to catch himself.

Composed, he now gripped his knee hard with the same hand. "Where are you?" He was surprised how calm his voice was. "Tell me. I'll pick you up."

A long silence came on the other end of the phone.

Then, a sigh and her soft voice saying, "Please don't get mad."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, messing it up more, feeling as though he'd burst or break or both.

"I'm sorry. I really wanted to tell you and say goodbye properly but… I can't. I'm afraid if I told you face to face…" She paused, took a shaky breath and continued softly. "I can't say goodbye to you in person. It'd be so painful. I don't think I can bear it."

"Inoue, I don't understand. We—" He stopped, his voice failing him. "We were—" Another pause. Frustrated with his ineloquence, he gripped a fistful of his hair.

He cared for her deeply, the weight of his feelings both crushing and liberating, but what about her? Of course, she worried about him all the time but she worried about _everyone_. She loved all of her friends dearly; he was not a special case. What about those kisses? Did they matter to her as much as they did to him? Did she give him liberties because he was her friend and she did not want to hurt his feelings? He felt a deep stab in his chest at the last thought. Was that the case? Had he taken advantage of her kindness? _Fuck. _What a horrible friend he was.

If she felt something special about him, she would not do this; she would not disappear like this. What she felt about him was completely different from what he felt for her. At this realization, his lungs filled with cramping pain. He was strong, but this feeling of hopelessness was something he could not fight. Nevertheless, what he felt was not important. He can deal with it. What he needed now was to know where to find her. He needed to be where she was.

"Where are you?"

She did not answer. It was frustrating.

"Why are you doing this? Do you hate me for something I did? Tell me what it is and I'll apologize!"

"Y-You did nothing wrong, Kurosaki-kun! I—"

"Make me understand why you're walking away from me!"

There was a gasp. In his pain, he did not notice.

"I'm fucking losing my mind. Just tell me. Say something. Say _anything_."

"I love you."

His mouth hung open in shock, his heart freezing for a second before beating so fast that it hurt. He felt like he was about to faint.

"This… this is not how I want to tell you. But I don't want you to think that you're not important to me and that those moments we shared don't matter to me. I want, I want so much to stay but I have something I must do. It's something that I have decided on my own."

Ichigo swallowed, a bright red hue coloring his cheeks and the back of his ears.

"I know even if I told you not to worry, you'll still worry about me but I still want to ask you: please don't worry. I'll be alright. I can't tell you where I'm going to be but I'll be safe and I'll take care of myself because I want to see you again and tell you in person that I…" Her words trailed off.

She took a deep breath.

"Kurosaki-kun, I understand if you're angry—"

"I'm not." Ichigo interrupted her. Not knowing what else to say, he hung his head, resting his arms on his thighs and gripping the phone tightly. "Inoue, I—" He stopped himself and took a breath. Her faint scent soothed his nerves and cleared his head. "Come back soon. If you don't, I'll find you. I don't know where I'll start but I'll definitely find you. Promise me."

"I promise."

They were suppressed but he could still hear the soft sniffles on the other line and it made the dull ache in his chest throb acutely.

Ichigo bowed his head again, swallowing with difficulty and pressed the heel of his free hand to his eye.

"Don't cry… Orihime."

She gasped and when she spoke, he figured she was crying again. "O-Oh, I-I'm n-not crying. It's my allergies…"

"You don't have allergies."

He heard her sniffle and take a deep, shaky breath.

"When we meet again, I'll give you my answer."

"W-What answer— _Oh_. I… Okay."

"I want to see your face while I tell you."

"U-Un…" A pause. Then: "I-I have to go."

He felt breathless again. "Orihime…"

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

Why did it, a _thank you,_ sound a lot sadder than a _good bye_?

Still resting his arms on his knees, Ichigo kept the cell phone pressed to his ear, unwilling to let go, listening to the dial tone, waiting.

Nothing.

Ichigo pressed his free hand to his eyes.

The silence was suffocating and painful and heavy with memories, emptiness, her voice, her smiles, her taste, her scent. He wanted to break away, to be where she was, right now, this moment, this minute, this second. But he was here and she was somewhere, alone. The distance was immeasurable and cruel.

But under the same sky, someday, one day, there will be time, there will be time.

:

The truth is: the world, in all its chaos, can come up with many coincidences, chances, opportunities. One moment, one instant, one minute, one second, one nanosecond links one active event to the next event.

We are infinite.

:::

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:::

April.

_I want to see you. I need to see you. Sometimes I fear what we had was just a dream. _

Outside, the cherry blossom trees were blooming. It was eight-thirty in the morning.

"Kurosaki."

The pen stopped. He closed the notebook, looked up and raised a hand.

:

July.

"What do you mean 'Inoue is not here'?" demanded Rukia. Behind her, Renji was frowning, looking confused.

He gave her a flat look, but Rukia could read an emotion in his eyes, poorly hidden. "She left."

"Where did she go?"

"She didn't say."

She wore a look of bewilderment before scowling, the expression ineffectively hiding her worry. "You don't know where she is?" She saw him flinch as though she had struck him. "You _let _her go without even asking where she's going."

"Kuchiki-san," Ishida interrupted, noticing the look in Ichigo's eyes. "It's not what you think."

"Do you think," Ichigo began coldly, "I'll let her leave and go to a place where I could not protect her?"

"Kuchiki," Sado said, stopping Rukia before she could respond. "Stop, please."

She frowned at Sado. Ichigo glowered and decided to leave, shutting the door firmly behind him.

In silence, they stared at the door.

"What happened?" asked Rukia afterwards.

Ishida told her.

:

October.

"Well, how was college?" asked Tatsuki, idly spooning her parfait. The café was crowded, jazz music floating from overhead speakers.

He shrugged. "The usual."

Ishida adjusted his glasses. "I still find it hard to believe you took journalism."

He looked up from his coffee and smirked. "I'm still surprised you didn't take fashion design."

Tatsuki snickered. Sado looked on, smiling, serene as always while Ishida huffed.

:

June.

Rukia waited for his reaction, anxiety twisting her features.

"I'm sorry," she sighed.

He did not reply. But Rukia knew he was furious and yet… _Why aren't you yelling? This is not like you._ She wanted to say, but decided not to. Perhaps, he had matured. A lot could happen in a year. Or maybe, Orihime's absence had taught him patience. On waiting, patience is essential.

She heard him take a deep breath. He had spun around, his back to her, hiding his expression.

"Ichigo—"

"I'm fine." He sat down on the edge of his bed. "I just need some time alone."

With a nod, she said, "Sure," and left through the window. Renji arched an eyebrow at her which she replied with a shake of her head. "Let's give him time and space," she murmured.

"_I found out from my captain about Inoue's agreement with Soul Society."_

"_Agreement?"_

"_Yes. You remembered what Hitsugaya-taichou told us before you went to rescue her?"_

"_About her powers being dangerous."_

"_And that her powers will be stripped off of her. Instead of doing that, they decided to implement a different course of action. They accepted Inoue's offer."_

"_What did she offer?"_

"_You will not like this."_

"_Doesn't matter. She still left. What is it?"_

"_According to Ukitake-taichou, Inoue offered to leave Karakura."_

"_What! This is her home! Why would she—"_

"_Because she doesn't want you to protect her anymore."_

_He had looked at her then and Rukia regretted what she had said almost immediately. She figured he'd prefer being struck by a weapon than by those words._

He felt a strong emotion fill his lungs, overwhelming him. He needed to let it out. Deciding to hit the gym to release some steam, he stood and prepared his things.

That night, he realized that he needed a new notebook. Bending down, he rummaged inside the bottom drawer and found an empty notebook.

He began, again.

_Dear Orihime,_

:

September.

The lecture went on.

She looked outside the window, staring at the clouds, admiring the weather.

"_I suppose. We're under the same sky after all."_

Idly, she drew strawberries and moons in the margins of her notebook. A broad sword with billowing bandage attached to its hilt, a mask, one and five. _Ichigo._

She smiled. Every ending has a new beginning.

The bell rang.

:

December.

He looked outside his window, watching the snowfall.

_The distance between us is making me insane. Waiting for you is the most painful thing that I've ever done. But there is nothing left for me to do but wait._

She looked up as fine snow began to fall. Catching a couple of them, she watched them thaw.

"Merry Christmas, Kurosaki-kun," she whispered.

_Please wait for a little longer. I'll be stronger, strong enough to stand beside you, so much stronger to protect you and our friends. It's a long wait but it'll be worth it._

_Until then, I'll go forward. And I hope you do the same._

:

February.

He stared at the broad rectangular box and pink, small teddy bear being presented to him.

"What?" His scowl deepened in confusion.

The girl blushed. "I-I made this for you."

He did not know what to do. The girl fidgeted, put the box and toy on his desk and left before he could ask her what they were for. Figuring Yuzu would like the stuffed bear, he decided to keep it to give it to her when he got home.

Later, he met his friends at a café and gave Kiego the chocolates.

"Freebies!" yelled Kiego tearfully, latching on the box. "Is this for real? Ichigo giving me chocolates?"

"They're not from me. A girl from school gave them to me. It feels like a waste to throw those stuffs so I'm going to give them to you. My sisters already gave me plenty to last me for months."

:

May.

She looked up to the clear sky, big cumulus clouds hanging over the sea. On her lap were five postcards, addressed to five different people.

Sea-scented breeze blew, tossing one postcard away from the bunch. It landed on the vacant space next to her. Written on it were:

_Honest hearts produce honest actions._

After piling the postcards together, she stood, took a deep breath, and lifted her arms in front of her.

"Shiten…"

:

November.

He stared at the postcard Tatsuki had given him three months ago.

"They came yesterday in the mail." She had said.

He never grew tired of reading the same lines over and over again.

_Honest hearts produce honest actions._

Yours is pure and sincere. To me, that's one of the reasons why you're so strong.

There was no return address. On the other side, however, was a picture of the star-shaped former fortress Goryokaku.

:

January.

"Ahhhh my son is graduating from college! I am impressed! Commencing Kurosaki Super Warm Group Hug in one, two, thr—!"

Without looking, he raised his fist.

"Omph!" Isshin clutched his sore face.

"Daddy!"

"Way to go, Ichi-nii."

He smirked.

:

March.

"Congratulations, Inoue. You made it to the top five. Good job."

Blushing but pleased nonetheless, she said, "Thank you."

She left the office, smiling.

"Hey, Inoue."

She looked over her shoulder. "Himura-san."

"I heard about your achievement. Congrats." He said.

"Thank you."

"You deserved it. Third place?"

She smiled. "Second place, actually."

"That's great. Wanna celebrate?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. I have work."

"I see."

"But thank you for the offer. That was very kind."

She turned to leave and hardly took a step when Himura spoke again.

"Wait."

She spun slowly to face him.

"You'll probably say no but I still want to try."

"Himura-san…"

"Will you go out with me?"

She took a minute to assemble her words together. "My heart is already spoken for."

They lapsed into a silence.

"For a second there, I thought you're going to say yes." He grinned. "I asked you out at least four times since our freshman year. You never said yes. You always answered either being busy with your part-time work or completing your extra projects."

"I'm sorry, Himura-san."

"Don't be. You never led me on. It was I who believed I had a chance. I suppose this guy is too perfect to be forgotten and replaced."

She smiled gently. "He's not perfect. But he's everything to me."

Eight hundred thirty kilometers away, Ichigo was reading the seventeenth postcard she had sent.

_I hope you don't mind me sending postcards every now and then. I thought this will make you worry less about me. I want to let you know that I'm fine. I will not lie and say I don't get lonely. Sometimes I do and when it becomes unbearable, I just tell myself that I'm just on a very long vacation._

"A very long vacation," he repeated. With a small smile, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the area where she wrote her name.

:

The fifth April.

The fifth spring, the last spring, the first spring.

Every ending has a new beginning.

Under the same sky, there will be time, there will be time.

He joined the rest of the pedestrians. Earphone in each ear, he walked, eyes gazing straight ahead. His hair, as usual, was unkempt, bright orange under the glare of sunlight.

In his pocket, his cell phone vibrated. Incoming call.

He paused at the intersection, the traffic light flashing green for vehicles, red for pedestrians. He took his vibrating phone from his pocket and flipped it open; an unknown number was flashing on the screen. He took off one of the earphones and dropped it to his chest. _News from the front, news from the front, we're living in troubled times!_

He let it ring, debating internally whether to take it or reject it. In the end, thinking it might be an emergency, he pressed the accept button. At the same time, the traffic light turned red. Vehicles stopped and pedestrians rushed past him to cross the street.

"Hello."

His scowl deepened when no answer came. For three seconds, he waited. One, two, three. He then opened his mouth to demand a reply when a sigh came and a word.

One word.

In one word, she turned over his world.

:

"Kurosaki-kun."

* * *

**disclaimer. **Bleach © Kubo**  
title. **to all my dreams, the answer**  
summary. **In one word, she turned over his world.**  
notes. **the end! …perhaps? :] thanks very very much for reading and for your lovely comments and encouragement! (^x^) AND OH: _Honest hearts produce honest actions _belongs to B. Young


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